Liquid-liquid Equilibrium in Systems Containing Olive Oil, Free Fatty Acids, Ethanol and Water

Abstract

This paper reports experimental data and the thermodynamic modeling of the liquid-liquid equilibrium systems with triacylglycerols, free fatty acids (obtained from olive oil), ethanol and water. The experimental data were fitted using the UNIQUAC model, in which absolute deviation of 1.28 % and root mean square deviation of 2.10 % between experimental and calculated mass fraction of the components in each phase were obtained. The results from this study can be complementary to investigations of more complex liquid-liquid equilibrium of systems containing diacylglycerols and monoacylglcerols of olive oil in hydroalcoholic solutions, once such systems will mostly also contain triacylglycerols and free fatty acids on its composition. Diacylglycerols are obtained from different reaction processes and can be purified by liquid-liquid extraction at mild conditions of temperature and pressure, what justifies the experimental and theoretical approach made in this work.