Patents Assigned to Carotech Associates
  • Patent number: 5157132
    Abstract: A process and apparatus is disclosed for separation of fatty acid alkyl esters, carotenoids and tocotrienols from oil. Fatty acids in a vegetable oil are subjected to alcoholic esterification to form an ester-rich layer including fatty acid alkyl esters, carotenoids and tocotrienols. The ester-rich layer is exposed to solvolytic micellization to form a carotenoid-rich layer. The ester-rich layer is separated from the carotenoid-rich layer. The carotenoids in the carotenoid-rich layer are concentrated and can be adsorptively separated from the carotenoid-rich layer. Fatty acid alkyl esters are separated from the ester-rich layer to form a tocotrienol-rich layer. Individual tocotrienols in the tocotrienol-rich layer are adsorptively separated and concentrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1992
    Assignee: Carotech Associates
    Inventors: Barrie Tan, Mohammed H. Saleh