LAUSR

Abstract Supercritical CO2 extraction of essential oil from Argan (Argania spinosa L.) was carried out experimentally and the effect of operating parameters such as pressure and temperature on the extracting process was investigated, considering three different values for each parameter (100, 250, and 400 bar and 35, 45, 55 °C for pressure and temperature, respectively). The extraction process was optimized by means of an experimental design using the statistical software Nemrod-w available in laboratory M2P2, Aix-Marseille University, France. A second order polynomial was used to express the oil recovery yield using the response surface methodology (RSM) and the obtained results were very close to the experimental values with a correlation factor of 0.957, demonstrating once more the reliability of this technique. An optimal yield value of 75.83% was obtained at a pressure of 297.71 bar and a temperature of 317.78 K. Gas chromatography–Mass Spectrometry analyses were carried out on samples obtained at the optimal conditions (297.71 bar and 317.8 K) and showed that the major compounds were fatty acids such as Palmitic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic acids and squalene.