Kinetics of Argan (Argania spinosa L.) oil supercritical CO2 extraction

In the aim to valorize natural plants, Argan oil extraction using supercritical CO
₂
was considered with the pressure and temperature varying in the ranges of 100 to 400 bar and 308 to 328 K, respectively, a fixed solvent flow rate of 0.5 kg h.land an average particle diameter of1 mm. These operating parameters were optimized by monitoring the extraction kinetics in order to achieve the optimal yield of extracted oil. Modeling and analyses of the different obtained kinetic extraction curves were performed along with the determination of the different solubilities of the vegetable oil at the different considered operating conditions. The obtained results were satisfactory and the maximum recovery of oil from the initial mass was 83% by weight, obtained at 328 K, 300 Bar, and a particle diameter of 1 mm after 2 hours of extraction, over which no more oil was extracted.