Liquid-liquid equilibrium data of systems composed by bergamot essential oil and alcoholic solvents

Abstract

Essential oils are complex mixtures consisting of hydrocarbons and oxygenated terpenes. The increase in consumer preference for natural essences combined with the numerous applications of essential oils in industrial sectors have levered their marketing. Although oxygenated terpenes are present in smaller amounts in most essential oils, these compounds are the main ones responsible for presenting the oil sensory characteristics such as flavor and aroma. In addition to do not contributing effectively to the sensory characteristics of the essential oil, the terpene hydrocarbons degrade in the presence of light, oxygen, and heat, producing unpleasant odors. Thus, it is desirable to remove partly the terpene hydrocarbons from the essential oil to obtain a more stable product with higher quality and value - a process known as deterpenation. Several methods are proposed in the literature for deterpenation of essential oils, among them the method of liquid-liquid extraction, which uses low temperatures under atmospheric pressure. This undergraduate research project aims to study the phase equilibria related to compounds found in the process of deterpenation of bergamot essential oil by liquid-liquid extraction, using hydrous ethanol as a solvent. In this undergraduate research project, liquid-liquid equilibrium data of real systems composed of bergamot essential oil and mixed solvent (ethanol with different water contents) will be experimentally determined at 25.0 ± 0.1 °C. Additionally, physical properties (viscosity and density) of the phases coming from the equilibrium study, as well as the alcoholic solvents and essential oil of bergamot, will be also evaluated. It is worth mentioning that this undergraduate research project is associated with the Research Support Project nº 2011/02476-7, coordinated by the Advisor of this proposal.(AU)