Molecular distillation: a powerful technology for obtaining tocopherols from soya sludge

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Soya sludge is a byproduct of soybean oil refining.
• Tocopherols, including Vitamin E, are valuable compounds found in vegetable oils.
• Efficient separation of tocopherols from byproducts is crucial for valorization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular distillation process for separating tocopherols from soya sludge.
• To analyze the impact of operating conditions on tocopherol recovery.
• To validate experimental results with process simulations.

Main Methods:

• Experimental molecular distillation with varying evaporator temperatures (100-160°C) and feed flow rates (0.1-0.8 kg/h).
• Process simulation to model tocopherol separation.
• Analysis of tocopherol content in distillate and residue streams.

Main Results:

• Good agreement was observed between experimental and simulation data.
• Tocopherols preferentially remained in the residue at lower evaporator temperatures (100-120°C).
• Higher temperatures (140-160°C) and lower feed flow rates promoted tocopherol migration to the distillate.

Conclusions:

• Molecular distillation is a viable method for tocopherol separation from soya sludge.
• Operating conditions significantly influence the separation efficiency and recovery location of tocopherols.
• Optimizing temperature and flow rate allows for targeted recovery of tocopherols in either the distillate or residue fraction.