A comparison of six solvents for the extraction of jojoba seed

Abstract

Summary Data are presented which show the effects of different solvents on the yield and properties of liquid wax fromSimondsia chinensis (jojoba) and on the characteristics of the hydrogenated waxes obtained from the liquid waxes. Three reagent grade solvents, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and isopropyl alcohol, and three commercial grade solvents, heptane, hexane, and tetrachloroethylene, were evaluated as extractants for the liquid wax from jojoba. Soxhlet‐type of extractions were carried out under conditions in which the solvent was the only significant variable. Four of the solvents extracted essentially the same amount of material from the seed while isopropyl alcohol extracted significantly more material and tetrachloroethylene significantly less. Obviously the difficulties involved in separating the solids recovered from the isopropyl alcohol extraction preclude its use as the extracting solvent for jojoba wax. The density of the liquid waxes varies from 0.8631 to 0.8648; the waxes from the tetrachloroethylene and hexane extractions had the lowest value and the wax from isopropyl alcohol the highest. In each case, regardless of the solvent used, a precipitate developed in the liquid wax after it had been desolventized and stored for 7–10 days. Hydrogenation of clear fractions and precipitate containing fractions of these liquid waxes showed that the precipitate had no apparent effect upon the melting point or hardness of the resulting solid wax. Some of the liquid waxes required a longer hydrogenation time to attain an iodine value of about 1. At this iodine value all of the solid waxes had melting points between 66 and 68°C. Hardness values of all the solid waxes as measured by the Trionic hardness gauge were 90.

Parametric study on the batch leaching process of Jojoba oil

“…They reported only the results of three of the solvents, which they considered to have the highest potential; hexane, isopropyl alcohol, and heptane. Knoepfler et al [7] used the same six solvents with the aim to find the best solvent for leaching. The Soxhlet extractor used was operated at a solvent-to-flake ratio of 5:1 and with 20-24 passes of solvent.…”

Hydrogenation of Jojoba Oil

“…It is said that candles made from it burn with a brilliant flame and do not smoke. In a paper by Knoepfler et al (1959) a comparison was made of the hydrogenation characteristics of jojoba oil obtained by extracting the oil with solvents such as carbon tetrachloride, benzene, heptane, hexane, isopropyl alcohol, and tetrachloroethylene. Samples of the oil were hydrogenated in glass equipment using 1% weight nickel catalyst at 190°and 2.5 psig, for 3 hr.…”