Isopropyl Alcohol Extraction of De‐hulled Yellow Mustard Flour

Vegetable oils are typically extracted with hexane; however, health and environmental concerns over its use have prompted the search for alternative solvents. Mustard oil was extracted with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to produce an IPA‐oil miscella suitable for industrial applications. Single‐stage extraction resulted in 87.6 % oil yield at a 10:1 (v/w) IPA/flour ratio. Multiple‐stage extraction resulted in higher extraction efficiency with lower IPA use. Four‐stage cross‐current extraction at an IPA/flour ratio of 2:1 (v/w) per stage resulted in 93.7 % oil yield. At 45 °C, a 91.5 % oil yield was achieved with three‐stage extraction using a 2:1 (v/w) IPA/flour ratio. Any changes to the pH of the mixture resulted in reduced oil yield. Water also reduced the extraction efficiency. The azeotropic IPA solution containing 13 % water extracted ~40 % less oil than did dry IPA in both single and multiple‐stage extractions. Some polar compounds were also extracted, including sugars; however, protein extraction was negligible. The protein left in the extracted meal was not degraded or lost during the extraction. The results suggest that IPA is an excellent solvent for mustard oil, but water content exceeding 5 % in the solvent adversely affects the oil extraction and reuse of the IPA.