Patent ID: 7097770

Claim:
A process of separating a plant oil comprising a mixture of triglyceride esters, the process comprising (a) contacting a seed oil, whose fatty acid composition comprises predominantly one principle fatty acid selected from ricinoleic, vernolic, and lesquerolic acids, at adsorption conditions with an adsorbent bed, the adsorbent having a particle size greater than about 40 microns, such that a first triglyceride product, characterized as having three fatty acids each identical to the principle fatty acid in the oil, is adsorbed more selectively by the adsorbent, as compared with a second triglyceride product, characterized as having either two, one, or no fatty acids identical to the principle fatty acid in the oil; (b) removing the second triglyceride product by withdrawing from the adsorbent a raffmate stream comprising predominantly the second triglyceride product; (c) desorbing the first triglyceride product by contacting the adsorbent containing the first triglyceride product with a desorbent under desorbent conditions sufficient to yield an extract stream comprising predominantly first triglyceride product and desorbent.