Extraction of carotene from crude hybrid palm oil using polymeric resin

Abstract

This work aimed to study the viability of extract carotenoids from hybrid palm oil by adsorption onto polymeric resin Diaion HP-20. Batch studies were evaluated considering the influence of initial oil solution, contact time, temperature and resin regeneration (accomplished by desorbing carotenoids with hexane). The resin regeneration process recovers approximately 95% of its initial capacity, indicating the possibility of its reuse. Extensive modeling of kinetic and equilibrium data was performed. Isotherms were evaluated with several models widely referred at literature. The best model selection was performed by information criteria (IC) tests, a formal procedure that accounts for both coefficient of determination and number of parameters. IC tests point Jovanovich and Hill-De Boer as the best-tested models for fresh and regenerated resins, respectively: besides the carotene mobility onto the adsorbent surface in both fresh and regenerated resin, lateral interactions between carotenes are observed only when using regenerated resin. Thermodynamics parameters indicate that adsorption is spontaneous, exothermic and energetically heterogeneous and occurs by physisorption. The data presented indicate the possibility of extracting carotenes from HPO by polymeric resins, as well as the reuse of the adsorbent, making this technology interesting for later industrial use.