Patent ID: 9650333
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: C07C,C11B

Claim:
1. A process for separating astaxanthin from a mixture comprising neutral lipids and astaxanthin, said process comprising; a) diluting the mixture in a solvent comprising ethanol and water having an ethanol:water ratio of between of about 95:5 to 99:1 to concentration of about 5 percent by weight of said mixture to provide a diluted astaxanthin mixture; b) introducing the diluted astaxanthin mixture to an astaxanthin extraction zone and therein contacting a steam activated carbon adsorbent to adsorb astaxanthin and to provide a neutral lipid rich stream comprising solvent and neutral lipids; c) washing the steam activated carbon adsorbent with heptane to remove the neutral lipids from the steam activated carbon adsorbent; d) regenerating the steam activated carbon with anisole to desorb the astaxanthin to provide an astaxanthin rich stream comprising anisole and astaxanthin; e) recovering the anisole from the astaxanthin rich stream to provide an astaxanthin product; and, f) returning at least a portion of the anisole to step d).