Question: How to remove capric acid (caprate) from estrenes?

[Maruska]

TL;DR Summary

Question: How to remove capric acid (caprate) from estrenes?

Hello everyone, happy to have found this forum! My name is Maruska.
I was wondering if anyone could give me ideas/suggestions on how,
in general, to remove capric acid (caprate) from estrenes?
Thanks for any help/suggestions.

 

[jim mcnamara]

Some questions to clear up some issues, correct anything I say that is wrong, and then we can probably help.
Assuming:
You have access to a chem lab, this probably is not kitchen table chemistry.
decanoic acid and its salts == capric acid, caprates
estrenes are a mix of phytosterol(?) derivatives, maybe like you find in tuber extracts from Dioscorea villosa the Mexican yam

Pick one of these as an answer
1. I want to remove decanoic acid from a mixture and keep the estranes
2. I want to keep both end products

Why? Your question is kind of vague, maybe you are playing with plant extracts or are in an advanced biochem class. You know what you want but we do not understand enough to help.

 

[Maruska]

Thanks for your reply Jim.
For now the question is purely theoretical.
The first answer is the closest to my question. I like to know how
in general to remove decanoic acid from estranes and keep the estanes.

 

[Maruska]

.. in the case the decanoic acid is chemically bound to the estanes..

 

[jim mcnamara]

Since you asked for an extremely general thing I can give you an answer at the same level. And I am not sure what chemically bound means here. Esterification?

So. This is a guess on my part. There is a world of possibilities, some of which cannot possibly work.

So start here:

Distillation processes - this assumes that the medium chain fatty acid you want to remove has a different boiling point or vapor pressure than the other molecules in the mix.

Example:
Molecular distillation is commonly used to increase DHA and EPA in fish oil. In other words remove other unwanted fatty acid molecules.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_distillation

Best I can do for you. Sorry.

 

[Maruska]

I think this is helpfull information too. Thank you Jim ;)