Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acid Purification via Silver Salt Complexation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional purification methods for highly unsaturated fatty acids result in increased trans isomer content during repeated purification steps, leading to undesirable health risks and lower purity levels, particularly in industrial production for pharmaceutical and health food applications.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of an aqueous solution containing a silver salt to treat highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl esters, followed by rectification at specific temperature and vacuum conditions to minimize trans isomer production, achieving high concentrations of EPA and DHA with low trans isomer content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional purification methods (thin film distillation, supercritical gas extraction, urea addition) are used to purify highly unsaturated fatty acids, then purification is achieved, but trans isomer content increases and purity of highly unsaturated fatty acid is not sufficiently high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameters of rectification by conducting it under high vacuum (1 Pa or less) at controlled temperatures (190°C or less), which prevents trans isomer formation while achieving high purity. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by enabling purification without the harmful side effect of trans isomer generation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary substance (silver salt) that selectively complexes with highly unsaturated fatty acids, enabling their separation from other components. This intermediary approach achieves high purity without requiring repeated purification steps that would otherwise increase trans isomer content
2Quantity of substance
If repeated purification steps are performed to increase highly unsaturated fatty acid concentration, then concentration increases, but trans isomer content increases due to heating
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary complexation with silver salt before rectification, which protects the highly unsaturated fatty acids from thermal isomerization during the purification process. This preliminary protective action enables concentration increase without trans isomer formation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical repeated purification steps with a single rectification step under optimized vacuum conditions, eliminating the need for multiple heating cycles that cause trans isomer formation while still achieving high concentration
3Manufacturing precision
If vacuum rectification is performed at high temperature to achieve high purity, then purity improves, but trans isomer formation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the parameter combination by conducting rectification at relatively low temperature (190°C or less) under high vacuum (1 Pa or less), which maintains the cis-trans isomer ratio while achieving high purity. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between purity and compositional stability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively produces highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl esters with concentrations of 95% or more and trans isomer ratios below 1%, suitable for pharmaceutical and health food applications, while minimizing health risks associated with trans fatty acids.
Implementation Method 1
contacting a raw material comprising a highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester with an aqueous solution comprising a silver salt
Implementation Method 2
adding an organic solvent to the aqueous phase, and subsequently recovering an organic solvent phase
Implementation Method 3
rectifying the organic solvent phase at a temperature of 170 to 190°C and a column top vacuum degree of 1 Pa or less to recover the highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a composition having a high content of highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester. A method for producing a composition comprising a highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester, the method comprising contacting a raw material comprising a highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester with an aqueous solution comprising a silver salt and subsequently recovering an aqueous phase; adding an organic solvent to the aqueous phase, and subsequently recovering an organic solvent phase; and rectifying the organic solvent phase at a temperature of 170 to 190° C. and a column top vacuum degree of 1 Pa or less to recover the highly unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester from the organic solvent phase.