Supercritical extraction of essential oil from Mentha and mathematical modelling- the influence of plant particle size

Supercritical CO2 extraction was studied using dried leaves of Mentha, originated from the northern part of Libya. Leaves were milled and sieved to obtain different average particles (d(p) = 0.25 - 0.80 mm). They were treated with supercritical CO2 at 313 K and 10 MPa in order to isolate essential oil. The new approach of supercritical extraction modelling on the basis of proposed "pseudo kinetic model" (PKM) was investigated and compared to most applied in literature Sovova's model. The main focus of these investigation was to determine the influence of particle size on extractions yield and to determine optimal methodology for determination parameters of PKM. Achieved results showed good agreement between both models and experimental results and good prospects for further usage of PKM