Laws of flaxseed mucilage extraction

This study examined the application of few-stages aqueous extraction of mucilage from whole flaxseed. Key processing conditions included temperature (40–100 °C), duration (0–60 min), seed to water ratio (1 to 5–30) and mixer rotational speed (0–240 revolutions per minute). It was found, that mucilage extraction from flaxseed is appropriate to carry out without swelling. The maximum yield of flaxseed mucilage was obtained at 80 ± 2 °C with seed to water ratio of 1 to 25. The equation, which described equilibrium solid yield during the extraction depending on the phases’ ratio and the temperature, was found. The equation of solid yield depending on duration and mixer rotational speed under the temperature of 80 ± 2 °C and the seed to water ratio of 1 to 25 was determined. It was showed, that the use of stirring is not expedient for the intensifying the process. The rational duration of extraction under the selected parameters was 30 ± 1 min. To increase the solid content in the extract the few-stages extraction was applied. The three-stage countercurrent extraction of flaxseed mucilage from whole seeds under the temperature of 80 ± 2 °C, the seed to water ratio of 1 to 25, the duration of each stage of 30 ± 1 min was established to receive flaxseed mucilage extract with content of solids from 0.70 to 0.72%, i.e. to extract from 98.3 to 99.1% of mucilage from flaxseed.