Adsorção e dessorção supercrítica de carotenos e antioxidantes do óleo de buriti (Mauritia flexuosa, Mart) em leito de γ- Alumina

Abstract

In this work we investigated the enrichment of antioxidants buriti oil (Mauritiaflexuosa Mart) adsorption process by supercritical. The adsorption was carried out experimentally by the method of frontal analysis in columns packed with y-alumina and 15, 20 e 25 MPa, 333 K, and flow of solvent QCO2 = 10,6 L/min, using an assembly of double columns of 81 cm3, tested and approved for use as a cell adsorption. The oil was buriti physic-chemically characterized according to the AOCS official methods and found to comply with the data reported in the literature. The composition of methyl esters was determined by gas chromatography (CG) and antioxidant activity by the method of capture of free radicals (DPPH). The adsorbent was characterized by fluorescence and x-ray diffraction, determining the particle size distribution, porosity and surface area by BET in each experiment, a material balance was performed in the adsorption column to calculate the mass of the adsorbed species in y-alumina in the process of supercritical adsorption. The influence of pressure on supercritical adsorption was investigated by examining the behavior of the isotherms. The Langmuir isotherm was used to model the experimental data of adsorption. The experimental results show an increased capacity adsorbent with higher pressures, showing a maximum of 90,9 ± 8,6 mg oil/g y-alumina, at 25 MPa. The adsorption supercritical buriti oil on γ-alumina using carbon dioxide as solvent appears to be an alternative method for extracting antioxidants from the includ carotenes.