COUNTERCURRENT LIQUID/LIQUID EXTRACTION TO FRACTIONATE COMPLEX MIXTURES CONTAINING MEDIUM AND LONG CHAIN FATTY ACID TRIGLYCERIDES.

摘要

COUNTERCURRENT LIQUID/LIQUID EXTRACTION PROCESSES FOR FRACTIONATING COMPLEX TRIGLYCERIDES MIXTURES TO SELECTIVELY REMOVE "LIGHT" IMPURITIES (PRIMARILY MMM TRIGLYCERIDES) FROM MML/MLM TRIGLYCERIDES, OR TO SELECTIVELY REMOVE MML/MLM TRIGLYCERIDES FROM "HEAVY" IMPURITIES (PRIMARILY MLL/LML AND LLL TRIGLYCERIDES), WHEREIN M IS A C₆-C₁₀ FATTY ACID RESIDUE OR MIXTURE THEREOF, AND WHEREIN L IS A C₁₈-C₂₄ FATTY ACID RESIDUE OF MIXTURE THEREOF, ARE DISCLOSED. IN THE CASE OF "LIGHT" IMPURITIES, AN OIL STREAM CONTAINING MMM AN MML/MLM TRIGLYCERIDES IS PASSED COUNTERCURRENTLY TO A SOLVENT STREAM CONTAINING A POLAR SOLVENT OR A SUPERCRITICAL FLUID THAT IS PARTIALLY MISCIBLE WITH THE OIL STREAM TO SELECTIVELY REMOVE THE MMM TRIGLYCERIDES. IN THE CASE OF "HEAVY" IMPURITIES, AN OIL STREAM CONTAINING MML/LML/ AND LLL TRIGLYCERIDES IS PASSED COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE SOLVENT STREAM TO SELECTIVELY REMOVE THE MML/MLM TRIGLYCERIDES.(FIG. 1)