Comparative Study of Extraction Methods on the Composition and Physicochemical Properties of Vegetable Oil from the Seeds of Ricinus communis

This paper carries out the effects of the extraction methods on the quantities and qualities of vegetable oil from Ricinus communis. The same initial quantities of Ricinus communis were used to extract oil by the physical methods, hot and cold hydraulic press, and screw press; and the chemical method of solvent extraction using various solvents at the same temperature. The resulting oils were characterized to obtain the acid index, saponification index, iodine index, peroxide index, water content, specific density, kinematic viscosity at 40°C, color, hydrogen potential (pH), refractive index, the fatty acid profile of the oils by gas chromatography (GC) and the density at 15°C; in accordance with the ASTM standard specification. The results obtained show that, quantitatively, the hydraulic press has the best yield (46.25%) and qualitatively, the screw press extract has the best properties on a wide range of properties. This result allows us to conclude that the extraction methods depend on the use or application of the vegetable oil.