Scale-up of a supercritical extraction unit for the deacidification of olive oil

Abstract

Olive oils with large quantities of free fatty acids must be refined to get a salable product. Deacidification is currently done by physical or chemical processes that may alter the organoleptic profile of the oil. Supercritical fluid deacidification of these oils has been suggested as a potential ecological alternative process, because it uses nontoxic solvents and low operating temperatures. The use of supercritical carbondioxide as a solvent for the deacidification of olive oils has shown the selective preference of carbon dioxide toward the free fatty acids (FFA) fraction and at the same time retaining the nutritional constituents of the oil. This chapter reviews a study carried out to evaluate the best operational conditions for the deacidification of olive oils by supercritical extraction (SCE) and to evaluate the design of an extraction unit. To assess the feasibility of the olive oil deacidification plant, an economical study that is described in the chapter was performed by simulating all the debits and credits involved in the industrial plant. The analysis was performed at constant prices instead of real prices and the units are in Portuguese escudos (PTE).