Prototype of a pilot scale model of an avocado oil extraction unit [study conducted in the Philippines]
1981
Aparato, A.R. (University of the Philippines, Quezon City. Dept. of Chemistry)
The model consists of three phases: (1) pre-treatment of avocado pulp, (2) extraction of oil by cold mixed solvent extraction using hexane-ethanol mixture, (3) removal of solvent from miscella under reduced pressure and a low controlled temperature. An earlier efficiency study on this method disclosed a 99.08% plus or minus .54% recovery. With a single unit an average of 300 g of crude avocado oil from fresh pulp was extracted per 2.5 kilos of fresh avocado pulp. The yield of crude avocado oil varies from 8.71% to 14.89% depending on the oil content of the pulp. Oil content is affected by species of fruit, locality in which it is grown and the degree of ripeness. The cardinal variety gave the highest yield as well as the best quality of avocado oil. The crude oil obtained by this process had the following characteristics: moisture content - .0974%-.1207%; specific gravity (25C) .8782; refractive index (25C) 1.4761-1.4821; % free fatty acid - .49-.53%; acid value - .975-1.05; % palmitin -12.58-16.17%; Mg% b-carotine 210.4-333.0. Further study on the efficiency of the solvent runs from waste ethanol shows an average of 79.10% alcohol recovery on the second stage of the distillation at 78C-79C.
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