Matter Transfer in Liquid-solid Extraction of Democratic Republic of Congo Gourd Seeds Oils by “Kunyima Method”

Background: The Democratic Republic of Congo has a very rich and diversified vegetable patrimony with known therapeutic properties needing only appropriate technology to deal with the extraction process of oils or active principles. This vegetable patrimony is capable to cure incurable diseases for modern medicine such as VIH, some cancers, diabetes, and so forth. So the interest, at first sight, has been brought on oils extraction of gourd seeds. These are widespread in all provinces of the country and are reputed to have excellent cure properties against prostate, world true calamity for men millions life. They prevent also diabetes, cardiac fits, cerebral vascular accident, liver complaints, menopause symptoms and so forth.

Aim and Objective: In this paper, the kinetic study of oil transfer from liquid- solid extraction has been undertaken in view of the phenomenon uptake to make possible home technology of reactors sizing, nowadays absent in underdeveloped countries.

Methodology: The experiments have been performed in dilute medium (petroleum ether) for a better understanding of the quantitative comparison. The liquid- solid extraction concerned here is the soxhlet extraction of oil from Gourd seeds. The figures have been plotted by means of Origin 8 program.

Results: Experimental results hereby discussed seem satisfactory and describe perfectly the proposed model. The proposed calculations have taken into account the combination of solubilisation and diffusion of matter molecules. The kinetic foundation of oil extraction and the sizing of extraction reactors are set together in KUNYIMA Method.

The extraction kinetic study of gourd seeds oil has been successfully performed in dilute solution where the linearity at more than 98% at exactly 98.8% between and time expressed in hours was pointed out. The model was valid and the kinetic constant calculated.

Conclusion: KUNYIMA Method consists of the best uptake of the phenomenon, in expressing it in a suitable mathematical model to determine its velocity through its kinetic constant before sizing the experimentation reactor. The reactor volume depends on both the sizing factor and the desired volumic debit. This last parameter depends strongly on kinetic constant and conversion degree. The interest is emphasised of course for the moment on medicinal plants, but the method can cover any other similar field.