# US 10,370,617 B2 · Process for the fractionation of essential oils

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,370,617 B2
- Document ID: US10370617B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/513,353
- Filed: 2015-09-29
- Published: 2017-10-26
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-02
- Assignees: Sensient Flavors Inc.
- Applicants: Sensient Flavors Ltd
- Inventors: Raymond Marriott
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370617B2

## CPC

- C11B 9/025: {Recovery by solvent extraction}
- A23L 27/11: {obtained by solvent extraction}
- B01D 11/0203: {with a supercritical fluid}
- B01D 11/0284: {Multistage extraction}
- B01D 11/0403: {with a supercritical fluid}
- C11B 9/022: {Refining}
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- C11B: PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES (drying-oils C09F)
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION

## Abstract

A method for modifying the composition of essential oils to be used as such or as ingredients for flavour and fragrance formulations, the process using carbon dioxide and suitable solvents in combination with specific supports; Flavours and fragrances containing ingredients produced by the method and applications using the flavours and fragrances.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sustainable sequential process for fractionating essential oil into essential oil fractions, each fraction having any one or more of solubility in oil or water, purity, stability and organoleptic quality, said process comprising:
a) providing an inert adsorbing support having a pore volume ranging between 0.2 and 1 cm3/g, a specific surface area ranging between 50 and 1000 m2/g, an average particle size ranging from 5 nm to 10 mm, a pH ranging between 3 and 11, and a density ranging between 100 and 1500 g/I, and selected to bind polar groups contained in pesticides;
b) loading essential oil onto the inert adsorbing support of step a) at a loading rate ranging between 1 and 30 mass %, with respect to the total mass of the support and the essential oil;
c) separating the essential oil into a first fraction with liquid carbon dioxide at a first temperature ranging between −10° C. and 50° C. and a first pressure ranging between 20 bars and 85 bars and a first flow rate ranging between 1 and 25% load/minute until a separation yield for the first fraction falls below 0.1% of a starting mass per hour, and recovering said first fraction;
d) separating the essential oil into a second fraction with supercritical carbon dioxide at a second temperature of at least 31° C. and a second pressure of at least 72.8 bars and a second flow rate ranging between 1 and 25% load/minute until a separation yield for the second fraction falls below 0.1% of the starting mass per hour, and recovering said second fraction;
e) separating the essential oil into a new fraction with the supercritical carbon dioxide at a temperature of at least 31° C. and a pressure of at least 72.8 bars and a flow rate ranging between 1 and 25% load/minute combined with a co-solvent at a level ranging between 1 and 25% of the CO2 flow rate, said co-solvent addition being either constant or gradually increasing, until a separation yield for the new fraction falls below 0.1% of the starting mass per hour, and recovering said new fraction;
f) soaking the loaded inert adsorbing support of step b) after separation step e) in an environmentally friendly solvent; and
g) decanting or filtering the environmentally friendly solvent from the soaked support of step e) and subsequently evaporating or distilling the environmentally friendly solvent;
said process being characterized in that the support is selected in terms of its volumetric capacity, its surface chemistry and its particle size and the chemical composition of the essential oil to be fractionated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sustainable sequential process of claim 1 wherein the essential oil is selected from the group consisting of Abietaceae, Acoraceae, Annonaceae, Apiaceae, Betulaceae, Burseraceae, Cupressaceae, Geraniaceae, Labiatae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrataceae, Myristicaceae, Orchidaceae, Pinaceae, Piperaceae, Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Santalaceae, Umbilliferae, Valerianaceae, Verbenaceae and Zingiberaceae families.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sustainable sequential process of claim 1 wherein the inert adsorbing support of step a) is selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, montmonrillionite, magnesium silicate, aluminium silicate, zeolite, polystyrene beads, chitosan, polysaccharides or derivatives and/or combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sustainable sequential process of claim 1 wherein the environmentally friendly solvent is selected from the group consisting of water and any organic food grade natural solvent obtained from biological and sustainable sources.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The sustainable sequential process of claim 4 wherein the environmentally friendly solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, ethyl lactate, acetone, and from any combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sustainable sequential process of claim 1 wherein, in step b), the loading rate of the inert adsorbing support with essential oil ranges between 5 and 20 mass %.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The sustainable sequential process of claim 1 wherein the co-solvent is ethanol used in an amount ranging between 5 and 15 vol %.