Pequi oil dry fractionation
The pequi oil was dry fractionated in a 2L jacketed glass reactor (HEL D-95 126 Shwabach) with a paddle-type mechanical stirrer connected to a high torque RZR 2102 motor (Heidolph Instruments, Schwabach, Germany) and a thermostatic bath (Julabo F25) with a temperature controller and thermocouples. First, 1000 to 1500 g of filtered oil was heated to 50°C for 20 minutes while mixing at 7 rpm, then it was cooled down at the rate of 3°C/h to the crystallization temperature (20°C), and while mixing was continued it was kept at 20°C for seven hours. The olein fraction was gravimetric transferred to a jacketed stainless steel filtration system (Zeitz Enzinger NOLL Maschinenbau Maschinenbau AG EF1412, Mannheim, Germany) coupled to a vacuum pump (Prismatec, São Paulo, Brazil). The oleic fraction separation was repeated several times using filter paper (Unifil Qualitativo, C41) to obtain the stearin fraction.