Process for the production of tocopherol and tocopherol/tocotrienol concentrates

摘要

Disclosed is an improved process for the preparation of tocopherol concentrates from vegetable oil distillates. Tocopherol concentrates are obtained containing 20-80% tocopherol by weight, with an overall recovery of tocopherol of 72% to 97%. The process is comprised first of an esterification reaction where the more volatile alcohols are converted to their less volatile fatty acid esters, followed by a series of distillation steps where components boiling higher and lower than the tocopherols are separated from tocopherols and other like boiling substances. Advantages of the process are that tocopherol concentrates are produced efficiently and economically in a minimum number of steps without the use of solvents and with a relatively small capital investment.