Enrichment of eicosenoic and docosadienoic acids fromLimnanthes oil

The long chain (>C₁₈) monoene and diene acids ofLimnanthes oil are useful in synthesizing diene and tetraene wax ester intermediates for prospective lubricant additives and PVC plasticizers. Low-temperature crystallization of theL. alba acids (61% eicosenoic, 19% docosadienoic, and 20% others) in acetone (initial concentration=0.05 g/ml) at ?50 C enriches eicosenoic acid (74%) in the precipitated fraction while concentrating docosadienoic (70%) in the supernatant fraction. This simple and efficient process is well suited for large-scale laboratory separations.