Shanmugapriya Dharmarajan

COMPARISON OF GREEN SOLVENTS DURING CHEMICAL EXTRACTION BY DIFFUSION STUDIES

Safety, health and environmental concerns with the use of conventional solvents such as hexane and related hydrocarbons spurred the use of green alternative solvents in the extraction processes. Green solvents have been characterized by their solvating properties, high boiling point and easy biodegradability to nontoxic products under environmental conditions, which makes them safer and less risky to human health and environment. The extraction kinetics of soybean oil with green solvents such as dlimonene, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, cyclopentyl methyl ether, ethyl lactate, tert-butyl methyl ether, pinene and hexane (for comparison) were studied. The extractions were carried out using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) at 150C and 1500 psi, and the yield was monitored as a function of time. The experimental kinetics data were compared to the hot-ball model1 to estimate the solvents diffusion coefficients. Further optimization in the method is being done to produce a characteristic kinetic curve prior to validation of the method. GC-MS was used to characterize the composition (free fatty acid) of FAME derivatized crude oil. Results obtained for green solvents were qualitatively similar to that of hexane.

1. K. D. Bartle, A. A. Clifford, S. B. Hawthorne, J. J. Langenfeld, D. J. Miller, and R. Robinson, A model for dynamic extraction using a supercritical fluid. J. Supercrit. Fluids, 3, (1990):143.

Monday, May 5, 2014

SAV 378 @ 4:00-5:00 pm