Supercritical carbon dioxide solvent extractions were carried out on whole grain seed material over the range of temperatures 313K ― 323K and pressures 100 barg ― 300 barg. The aim was to isolate in an enriched fraction the commercially valuable compound squalene. Milling of the seed was found to be the most effective sample pre-treatment as the physical nature of the seed was such that crushing and flaking were ineffective to complete commutation. Extraction yields were determined gravimetrically as a percentage of exhaustive Soxhlet hexane extraction. Solubility studies of squalene were performed over the temperature and pressure range of interest with good agreement to predictions from the Adachi-Lu modification of the Chrastil Equation and Empirical Equations.
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