Mathematical modeling of oil solid-liquid extraction from mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) seeds with hexane

Abstract

Mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) seeds oil has potential as human consumption oil due to its high content of oleic acid. In order to design a solid-liquid extraction sustainable process, (hexane)-(oil)-(Pouteria sapota seeds) extractive system was modeled for different extraction modes applying novel mathematical relations. One equilibrium stage solid-liquid extractions (SLE) and dynamic SLE with continuous solvent flow through a particles fixed bed were experimentally performed in order to estimate the extractive system thermodynamic properties. The results for thermodynamic distribution constant, specific retained solution and oil diffusivity in underflow (seeds-extract mixture) were 0.24 g/g, 1.58 g/g and 8.68 × 10−11 m2/s (at 30 °C) respectively. These properties, applied in the mathematical models of counter-current equilibrium multistage and dynamic SLE processes, reproduced experimental behavior with 4.53–16.7 average difference %.