Behavior of beeswax and edible oils mixtures in supercritical carbon dioxide at moderate temperature

This study investigated the behavior of lipid mixtures of beeswax with avocado oil or Brazil nut oil in supercritical CO2 processing. It entailed the measurements of melting temperature (Tm), solidification temperature (Ts), volumetric expansion (Ve), solubility of supercritical CO2, and solubility of the lipid mixtures in supercritical CO2 at fixed pressures. The Tm and Ts of lipid mixtures decreased progressively to a lower level (closer to 150 bar) that were then increased with increasing pressure. The volumetric expansion, solubility of supercritical CO2, and solubility of the lipid mixtures in supercritical CO2 increased as pressure increased. On the basis of the results, particle formation using these lipid mixtures as carrier materials could be feasible with supercritical CO2 at a temperature of 60 °C and pressures from 150 to 300 bar. The moderate temperature of the process could allow its application with thermally labile bioactive compounds.