Separation of fatty acids from fish oils by liquid membranes

• Main Author: Han, Gyeongho
• Language: ENG
• Published: ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst 1993
• Subjects: Food science|Agricultural engineering|Chemical engineering
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9408284

Investigations of the separation of fatty acids from fish oils using liquid membrane systems were made. Fatty acids transport in liquid membrane systems with different conditions was observed qualitatively by capillary gas chromatography and quantatively by measuring fatty acids concentration in the continuous phase. Stability of liquid membranes was also investigated during the separation process to determine the optimal surfactant concentrations for fatty acids transport in liquid membrane systems. The effects of various experimental conditions on the rate of fatty acids separation were shown and possibly effective methods to separate fatty acids from the continuous phase were developed. The effects of sodium ions and surfactants on the stability of liquid membranes in the continuous phase were also investigated. 3%(w/w) of NaHCO3 in the receiving phase and 3%(w/w) of surfactants in the membrane phase not only enhanced the fatty acids transport rate, but also helped to make liquid membranes stable during the separation process. Approximately 85% of fatty acids in the continuous phase were separated by liquid membranes. Physical and mathematical models for fatty acids transport in liquid membrane system have been proposed. Mass transport of fatty acids in each phase of liquid membrane systems were represented by differential equations. Experimental data for fatty acids separation in liquid membrane systems showed good agreement with predicted data from a mathematical model for the separation process. It was shown that the reduction rate of sodium ions in the receiving phase could predict fatty acids transport rate in a liquid membrane system as well.