This study presents liquid−liquid equilibrium data for systems of interest in biodiesel production and the refining of edible oils by liquid−liquid extraction. These systems are composed of vegetable oils + anhydrous ethanol + water, at temperatures ranging from (298.15 to 333.15) K. The following vegetable oils were investigated: refined canola oil, refined corn oil, semiprocessed Jatropha curcas oil, and semiprocessed macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) pulp oil. According to the results, the enhancement of temperature within the study ranges increased oil−solvent miscibility in both phases. The liquid−liquid equilibrium experimental data were correlated using the non-random two liquid (NRTL) model. For all of these systems, the global deviations between calculated and experimental data were lower than 0.7 %, showing the good descriptive quality and applicability of the NRTL model in liquid−liquid analysis and computational simulation processes.

The aim of this work was to determine liquid−liquid equilibrium data for systems of interest in ethyl ester (biodiesel) production. The following systems were investigated: refined soybean oil + anhydrous ethanol + hexane at (313.15 ± 0.1) K and (328.25 ± 0.1) K, refined canola oil + anhydrous ethanol + hexane at (313.25 ± 0.1) K and (328.15 ± 0.1) K, and refined palm oil + anhydrous ethanol + hexane at (318.15 ± 0.1) K and (328.25 ± 0.1) K. The instrumental technique of near-infrared spectroscopy allied to multivariate calibration (in this work, this union was denominated “NIR method”) was used for quantification of the phase compositions. The NIR method presented an appropriate experimental accuracy for quantifying equilibrium data at higher temperatures. Good reliability of the phase compositions was confirmed from values of global mass balance deviations ranging from (0.06 to 0.16) %. The experimental data were correlated using the NRTL model with an average global deviation of 0.83 %.

Phase diagrams of aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) composed of 400 g • mol -1 poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) + sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate were determined at (298.15, 308.15, and 318.15) K. The temperature effect on the biphasic area was not relevant, indicating a small enthalpic contribution associated with the phase separation. The ability of the salts in inducing the formation of the ATPS with PEG 400 followed the order sodium sulfate < magnesium sulfate. The liquid-liquid equilibrium experimental data were correlated using the NRTL (nonrandom two-liquid) activity coefficient model, and new interaction parameters were estimated. The mean deviations between calculated and experimental compositions were lower than 0.99 %, showing the good descriptive quality and applicability of the NRTL model.

This work presents experimental data of systems composed of grape seed oil + oleic acid + ethanol + water from (283.2 to 298.2) K. The solvent selectivity and oleic acid distribution coefficient were more affected by water content in the alcoholic solvent than by temperature. The enhancement of the water content in the solvent and the reduction of temperature within the studied ranges led to greater values of solvent selectivity. Nevertheless, greater oleic acid distribution coefficients were found as a result of the reductions in temperature and water content in the solvent.