Fixed bed property changes during scCO2 extraction of natural materials – Experiments and modeling

Properties of the fixed bed of plant material during the extraction with scCO2 from rapeseed were investigated for the two types of mechanical pretreatments: flaking and impact milling. Obtained results indicated that particle density, bulk density of the bed and consequently the bed porosity changed during the extraction. In the case of flaked rapeseed, the change of particle diameter was also detected and quantified. On the basis of experimental data linear relationships between the particle density/bed porosity/mean particle diameter and oil content in solid were established. Mathematical model based on the mass balances for the supercritical and solid phase which took into account particle density, bed porosity and particle diameter (for flaked plant material) as variables was derived. The proposed model described experimental data with high accuracy. Possible error due to neglecting the change of the fixed bed properties was presented as well.