PHASE-EQUILIBRIA OF FISH-OIL FATTY-ACID ETHYL-ESTERS AND SUBCRITICAL AND SUPERCRITICAL CO2

Measurements of phase equilibria of fish oil fatty acid ethyl esters i n sub- and supercritical carbon dioxide were performed at pressures fr om 2 to 22 MPa at the temperatures 283.2, 313.2, and 343.2 K. Experime ntal temperatures, pressures, mass fractions, mole fractions, equilibr ium ratios, and densities are reported. The K-values of the esters dep end strongly on the system pressure and the number of carbon atoms and have a weaker dependence on the degree of unsaturation and position o f the double bonds. The data show that the selectivity is high and the solubility is low at low operating pressure, while at high operating pressure the selectivity is low but the solubility is high. More than 95% of the natural mixture was identified.