Microalgae are recognised as an important renewable source of lipids with a high proportion of polyunsatured fatty acids, which have been shown to be effective in preventing or treating several diseases. For the extraction of oil from microalgae, supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) is regarded with interest. In such a contest a mathematical model, able to describe the kinetics of a ScCO2 extraction process, was applied to the recovery of oil from the microalga Schizochytrium sp., characterised by a particularly high content in docosahexaenoic acid. The mathematical model, which allows the optimisation of working parameters and the determination of process yields, is reported together with the effect of operating conditions on extraction kinetics and fatty acid composition of extracts.
Supercritical fluid extraction of oil from schizochytrium sp.
ZINNAI, ANGELA;VENTURI, FRANCESCA;ANDRICH, GIANPAOLO;FIORENTINI, ROBERTO
2006-01-01
Abstract
Microalgae are recognised as an important renewable source of lipids with a high proportion of polyunsatured fatty acids, which have been shown to be effective in preventing or treating several diseases. For the extraction of oil from microalgae, supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) is regarded with interest. In such a contest a mathematical model, able to describe the kinetics of a ScCO2 extraction process, was applied to the recovery of oil from the microalga Schizochytrium sp., characterised by a particularly high content in docosahexaenoic acid. The mathematical model, which allows the optimisation of working parameters and the determination of process yields, is reported together with the effect of operating conditions on extraction kinetics and fatty acid composition of extracts.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
