KINETIC MODEL AND TECHNOLOGY OF ULTRASOUND EXTRACTION OF SAFFLOWER SEED OIL.

ABSTRACT Safflower seed oil rich in linoleic acid is a kind of functional health oil. The effects of various parameters, such as solvents, liquid-solid ratio and extraction time, on both ultrasonic-aided and conventional safflower seed oil extractions were investigated through experiments. The results indicated that n-hexane was a better solvent for the two above-mentioned extraction methods. Under the following conditions: temperature 35C, liquid-solid ratio 5, extraction time 30 min and ultrasound power 300 W, the oil extraction yield reached 27.02%. However, with the conventional safflower seed oil extraction method, it was only 25.00% when the technical parameters were: temperature 50C; liquid-solid ratio 6; extraction time 60 min. Obviously, the advantages of ultrasonic extraction were as follows: reducing extraction temperature; decreasing solvent quantity; saving time; and improving oil yield. In addition, on the basis of Fick's first law, the kinetic models of ultrasonic extraction and conventional extraction were compared and authenticated. The results showed that a close match was found between experimental data and kinetic equations, and the equations could better simulate safflower oil extraction process. This approach provided a theoretical background for the extraction of safflower seed oil. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In this work, an efficient extraction method - ultrasound-aided extraction method for safflower seed oil - was acquired. Compared with conventional extraction method, the advantages of ultrasonic extraction were: reducing extraction temperature, decreasing solvent quantity, saving time and improving oil yield. In addition, equipments used in ultrasound-aided extraction and operation were simple and high efficiency. Therefore, this ultrasonic technology has a brilliant application prospect in extraction of safflower seed oil and other vegetable oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]