Extraction of jojoba seed oil using supercritical CO 2 +ethanol mixture in green and high-tech separation process

In this study, the extraction of jojoba seed oil obtained from jojoba seed using both supercritical CO 2 and supercritical CO 2 +ethanol mixtures was investigated. The recovery of jojoba seed oil was performed in a green and high-tech separation process. The extraction operating was carried out at operating pressures of 25, 35 and 45 MPa, operating temperatures of 343 and 363 K, supercritical fluid flow rates of 3.33 × 10 −8, 6.67 × 10 −8 and 13.33 × 10 −8 m 3 s −1, entrainer concentrations of 2, 4 and 8 vol.%, and average particle diameters of 4.1 × 10 −4, 6.1 × 10 −4, 8.6 × 10 −4 and 1.2 × 10 −3 m. It was found that a green chemical modifier such as ethanol could enhance the solubilities, initial extraction rate and extraction yield of jojoba seed oil from the seed matrix as compared to supercritical CO 2. In addition, it was found that the solubility, the initial extraction rate and the extraction yield depended on operating pressure and operating temperature, entrainer concentration, average particle size and supercritical solvent flow rate. The solubility of jojoba seed oil and initial extraction rate increased with temperature at the operating pressures of 35 and 45 MPa and decreased with increasing temperature at the operating pressure of 25 MPa. Furthermore, supercritical fluid extraction involved short extraction time and minimal usage of small amounts entrainer to the CO 2. About 80% of the total jojoba seed oil was extracted during the constant rate period at the pressure of 35 and 45 MPa.