Phase behavior of castor oil in compressed propane and n-butane

This work is focused on the investigation of the phase behavior of binary systems formed by castor oil in compressed propane and n-butane. The experiments were conducted in a high-pressure variable-volume view cell in the temperature range of 30–150 °C, for solvent overall composition ranging from 15 to 99 wt.% and pressures up to 240 bar. Results indicate the existence of a complex phase behavior for both systems investigated, with liquid–liquid, vapor–liquid and vapor–liquid–liquid phase transitions. The liquid–liquid phase transition presents upper and lower critical solution temperatures.