Abstract
Palm oil contains high concentrations of carotenoids and tocopherols that can be recovered by first converting them to methyl esters and then applying membrane technology to separate the carotenoids from the methyl esters. Several solvent-stable nanofiltration membranes were investigated for this application. Flux with a model red palm methyl ester solution ranged from 0.5 to 10 Lm−2h−1, and rejection of β-carotene was 60–80% at a transmembrane pressure of 2.76 MPa and 40°C. A multistage membrane process was designed for continuous production of palm carotene concentrate and decolorized methyl esters. With a feed rate of 10 tons per hour of red palm methyl esters containing 0.5 gL−1 β-carotene, the process could produce 3611 L·h−1 of carotene concentrate containing 1.19 gL−1 carotene and 7500 Lh−1 of decolorized methyl esters containing less than 0.1 gL−1 β-carotene. The economics of this process is promising.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Britton, G., Liaaen-Jensen, S. and Pfander, H. 1995. Carotenoids, Volume 1A: Isolation and Analysis Birkhauser, Basel.
Ooi, T.L., A.S.H. Ong, H. Mamuro, Y. Kubota H. Shina, and S. Nakasato, Extraction of Carotenes from Palm Oil. I. Molecular Distillation Method, J. Jpn. Oil Chem. Soc. 35:543–547 (1986).
Ooi, C.K., Y.M. Choo, S.C. Yap, Y. Basiron, and A.S.H. Ong, Recovery of Carotenoids from Palm Oil, J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 71:423–426 (1994).
Shenolikar, I., S. Baku, and I. Reddy, Isolation of β-Carotene from Red Palm Oil, Proceedings PORIM International Palm Oil Development Conference, PORIM, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1989, Paper N30.
Iwasaki, R., and M. Murakoshi Palm Oil Yields Carotene for World Markets, INFORM 3:210–217 (1992).
Cheryan, M. Ultrafiltration and Microfiltration Handbook, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1998.
Koseoglu, S.S., K.C. Rhee, and E.W. Lusas, Membrane Processing of Crude Vegetable Oil: Laboratory Scale Membrane Degumming, Refining and Bleaching, Proceedings Edible Fats and Oils: Basic Principles and Modern Practices, edited by D.R. Erickson, AOCS, Champaign, IL, 1990, pp. 182–188.
Koseoglu, S.S., J.T. Lawhon, and E.W. Lusas, Membrane Processing of Crude Vegetable Oil: Pilot Scale Removal of Solvent from Oil Miscellas, J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 67:315–322 (1990).
Kuk, M.S., R.J. Hron, Sr., and G. Abraham, Reverse Osmosis Membrane Characteristics for Partitioning Triglyceride-Solvent Mixtures, ——Ibid. 66:1374–1380 (1980).
Raman, L.P., N. Rajagopalan, and M. Cheryan, Membrane Technology, Oils Fats Int. 6(10):28–36 (1994).
Raman, L.P., M. Cheryan, and N. Rajagopalan, Deacidification of Soybean Oil by Membrane Technology, J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 73:219–224 (1996).
Raman, L.P., M. Cheryan, and N. Rajagopalan, Solvent Recovery and Partial Deacidification of Vegetable Oils by Membrane Technology, Fett/Lipid 98(1):10–14 (1996).
Darnoko, D., and M. Cheryan, Kinetics of Palm Oil Transesterification in a Batch Reactor, J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 75:1263–1267 (2000).
Darnoko, D., and M. Cheryan, Continuous Production of Palm Methyl Esters, ——Ibid. 75:1269–1272 (2000).
PORIM, PORIM Test Methods, Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia, Ministry of Primary Industries, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1995.
Cheryan, M., and D.J. Nichols, Modelling of Membrane Processes, in Mathematical Modelling of Food Processing Operations, edited by S. Thorne, Elsevier, London, 1992, pp. 49–98.
Tsui, E.M., and M. Cheryan, Characteristics of Nanofiltration Membranes in Aqueous Ethanol, J. Membr. Sci. 237:61–69 (2004).
Anonymous. Chemical Market Reporter. Schnell Publishing, New York, 2005.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Darnoko, D., Cheryan, M. Carotenoids from red palm methyl esters by nanofiltration. J Amer Oil Chem Soc 83, 365–370 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-006-1214-y
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-006-1214-y