Mutual Solubility for Systems Composed of Vegetable Oil + Ethanol + Water at Different Temperatures

Abstract

This study presents liquid−liquid equilibrium data for systems of interest in biodiesel production and the refining of edible oils by liquid−liquid extraction. These systems are composed of vegetable oils + anhydrous ethanol + water, at temperatures ranging from (298.15 to 333.15) K. The following vegetable oils were investigated: refined canola oil, refined corn oil, semiprocessed Jatropha curcas oil, and semiprocessed macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) pulp oil. According to the results, the enhancement of temperature within the study ranges increased oil−solvent miscibility in both phases. The liquid−liquid equilibrium experimental data were correlated using the non-random two liquid (NRTL) model. For all of these systems, the global deviations between calculated and experimental data were lower than 0.7 %, showing the good descriptive quality and applicability of the NRTL model in liquid−liquid analysis and computational simulation processes.