Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research · 2001 · 23 citations · 13 references
Natural SciencesChemistryFood ScienceAnalytical ChemistryFood AnalysisSolidificationCrystallization ProcessesFatty Acid ChemistryFatty Acid SynthesisSolvent ExtractionCrystallizationFatty Acid Composition ImprovementFatty AcidsFractional CrystallizationFractionationLinoleic Acid ContentOleic Acid ContentOmega-3 Fatty Acids
A two-stage, low-temperature solvent fractional crystallization process was developed in this work for the enrichment of γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3 n6) in free fatty acids (FFAs) derived from saponified borage oil. Acetonitrile was the solvent in the first stage. At an acetonitrile to FFA ratio of 62.5 mL/g and after 48 h of storage at −40 °C, the GLA content in the liquid phase can be increased from 23.4% to 66.1% with a corresponding yield of 93.0%. In the second stage, a mixture of 30% acetonitrile and 70% acetone was employed as the solvent. At a solvent to FFA ratio of 90 mL/g and after 24 h of storage at −80 °C, the GLA content in the liquid phase was further raised from 66.1% to 93.9% with a corresponding yield of 92.4% (overall yield 86.0%). More than half of the GLA in the solid can be recovered after the second-stage operation was applied to the solid phase.
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