Continuous fractionation of used frying oil by supercritical CO2

Abstract

AbstractFractionation by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC−CO2) might be a way to purify used frying oils, since a selective separation of the oil components based on their polarity and M.W. can be attained. In this work, we studied the purification of peanut oil used for frying by SC−CO2 continuous fractionation in a packed column. The influence of pressure (15–35 MPa) and temperature (25–55°C) on the yield and on the composition of products was determined. The composition of the top and bottom products was evaluated by using size‐exclusion chromatography and other accepted chemical methods. Process conditions were selected to separate TG from degraded compounds. Experimental results indicated that the operating conditions leading to maximal TG recovery in the extract were 35 MPa, 55°C, and a solvent‐to‐feed ratio of 53. By operating at these conditions, it was possible to recover 97% of the TG placed on the column and about 52% by weight of the used frying oil. The composition of the purified top stream was very similar to that of fresh frying oil.