Optimization of rubber seed oil extraction using liquefied dimethyl ether

Abstract

The objective of this study was to find the optimal condition for the extraction of rubber seed oil (RSO), using liquefied dimethyl ether (DME). Response surface methodology with a spherical central composite design model was employed to determine the optimal extraction condition, consisting of a seed moisture content (%wt), a solvent to solid ratio (g/g), and an extraction temperature (°C). A quadratic regression equation suggested the optimal extraction condition was a moisture content of 56.4%wt, a solvent to solid ratio of 6.7 (g/g), and a temperature of 33.3 °C. At this condition, the RSO yield predicted by the model gave a slight deviation of 0.68% from the experimentally validated results (41.48 versus 41.20%). RSO has a kinematic viscosity of 36.8 cSt, an acid value of 10.7 KOH/g oil, a fatty acid content of 5.1% and an unsaturated fatty acid content of 80%, resulting in the potential production of biodiesel, biolubricants, and biodegradable plastics.