Partitioning of Carboxylic Acid Between Oil and Water Phases: Experimental, Correlation, and Prediction

Abstract

Partition coefficients for the carboxylic acids (A) acetic and formic acids between oil and water were measured, correlated, and predicted. The experiments were conducted by equilibrating the systems, soybean oil (SO)– H2O–A and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)–H2O–A, at 40 ºC employing different compositions. The partition coefficients were correlated using the UNIQUAC model and, also, predicted by calculating the activity coefficients of the carboxylic acid in the two phases using a group contribution method, the UNIFAC equation. Agreement of experimental partition coefficients values with those estimated by UNIFAC are fair. Other experimental data from literature were also correlated and are discussed.