Separation of α-Terpineol and Limonene from an Orange Essential Oil Mixture Using Supercritical CO 2 Pressure Reduction
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Brazil is the world’s largest orange producer, generating significant amounts of byproducts that are used to produce limonene-rich orange essential oil. In this sense, one possible alternative for its valorization is the biotransformation of limonene into α-terpineol, which has emerged as a promising valorization route, but the efficient separation of these compounds remains challenging due to their similar chemical nature. This work aimed to evaluate the solubility and fractionation behavior of α-terpineol and limonene in supercritical CO 2 (SC-CO 2 ) using a model mixture (orange essential oil + α-terpineol, 60:40 wt %), which simulated a biotransformation product. The best solubilization was found at 10 MPa and 40 °C. Supercritical fluid fractionation (SFF) was performed at different separator pressures (6–8 MPa) and temperatures (40–60 °C), to find optimal conditions for the selective recovery of α-terpineol. The SFF performed at 8 MPa and 40 °C achieved the precipitation of most α-terpineol. However, coprecipitation of limonene indicated limited selectivity under the tested conditions, likely due to molecular interactions in the complex multicomponent matrix. Calculated losses through the SFF at this same condition indicated a substantial limonene loss of nearly 50%, highlighting the challenges in designing an efficient system for terpene separation.
Source: ACS Omega
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,935
Funders: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, European Commission, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, NextGenerationEU
Awards: G116629194, G1474522289, G204371004, Supercritical technology in the reverse engineering context: formulation of new products from citrus agro-industrial residues, G2262748287, G247810146, G2513605524, G3415075980, G3480869486, G3681454997, G4042783231, G425668148, G4624799185, G5970752664, G6438247056, G6756993358, G6815844370, G823097665
OpenAlex ID: W4415545226