Olive oil deodorization distillate contains squalene in a concentration range of 10 to 30 wt%. A process for its recovery by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is described. The process consists mainly of converting the free fatty acids and the methyl and ethyl esters normally occurring in this by‐product into their corresponding triglycerides. The latter are then extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide to provide a highly enriched squalene fraction. The process has been carried out on a pilot‐plant scale with a column operating in the contercurrent mode. The relationship between the experimental conditions and squalene purity and yield has been studied. Analytical methods were used for the determination of squalene and other components in the fractions. By use of this process, squalene can be recovered in high purity and yields of about 90%.

Renewable vegetable fuels are spreading rapidly throughout Europe and North America. Because biodiesel fuel has now acquired an important market share, it is necessary to thoroughly examine aspects of its use not previously considered either at the research stage or when overhauling the production technology. One of these aspects is its medium-term storage. The object of the present work is to study the behavior of biodiesel under controlled storage conditions that simulate those found in reality. Samples of biodiesel were kept in the dark, at two different temperatures (20°C and 40°C), in both glass and iron containers. They were controlled by the parameters that indicate their state of oxidation. Another group of samples was stored in glass and kept under the conditions described above in the presence of increasing quantities of water to determine its influence on the formation of acidity.JAOCS 72, 699-702 (1995).

Lampante olive oil has been treated in a supercritical C02 extraction plant operating in a continuous countercurrent mode. We report the results of a systematic investigation to define the optimal operative parameters. We also have examined the compositional variation of lampante olive oil samples with different characteristics and of different geographic origins before and after refining at optimal conditions. Although practical feasibility of the proposed pr~ cedure can be questioned, the results demonstrate the possibility of fractionating components contained in the starting oil even if present at trace levels.

Triterpene alcohols and sterols were separated by thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography from the unsaponifiable fractions of the following 18 vegetable oils: linseed, peanut, olive, rice bran, palm kernel, corn, sesame, oiticica, palm, coconut, rapeseed, grape seed, sunflower, poppy seed, castor, tea seed, cocoa butter and soybean. Two triterpene alcohols, cycloartenol and 24-methylene cycloartanol, were found in all of the oils except soybean oil, which contained only eyeloartenol. Triterpene alcohols such as ~-and fl-amyrin, euphorbol, butyrospermol and cyclolaudenol also were encountered occasionally. Three sterols, flsitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol were present in all of the oils. In addition a fourth sterol, not yet identified, was found in oils of palm, palm kernel and sunflower in varying amounts. This unknown sterol and brassieasterol were found in rapeseed oil in addition to the three sterols that were common to all of the oils studied.

A molecular distillation plant, built particularly to increase the separation efficiency and to obtain safer working conditions, was tested to remove cholesterol from anhydrous butter and lard. A preliminary experiment was carried out with butter to evaluate the fractionation obtained at temperatures between 190 and 250°C and residual pressures between 10−3 and 10−4 torr. A second experiment was carried out at 185°C and at the maximum operational vacuum, evaluating the fractionation achieved within a time scale between 30 and 180 min. Cholesterol was almost completely removed during the second hour with minimal loss of low‐molecular weight triglycerides. An experiment was carried out with lard at 250°C and maximum achievable operational vacuum (10−4 Torr), lasting approximately 6 h, and cholesterol was removed almost completely during the second hour without significant modifications in the triglyceride composition. This situation remained constant throughout the duration of the test.