Prediction of Solubility of Cholesterol in Supercritical Solvents

Abstract

In this study the solubility of cholesterol was calculated in two supercritical pure solvents (carbon dioxide and ethane) as binary systems, and four supercritical solvent/co-solvent systems as ternary systems (cholesterol/carbon dioxide/methanol, cholesterol/ethane/acetone, cholesterol/ethane/hexane, cholesterol/ethane/propane) in various temperatures by SRK, PR, and SAFT equations of state. Pure molecular parameters of SAFT equation of state were obtained by fitting vapor pressure and liquid density data. Also the molecular parameters of cholesterol were obtained by fitting the solubility data of binary systems in one temperature, then they were used for the same system in other temperatures and for ternary systems with the same solvent. Results show that the SAFT equation of state can predict the trend and amount solubility of cholesterol in supercritical solvents much better than the other equations of state.