Research articles
ScienceAsia 36 (2010): 33-39 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2010.36.033
The use of perlite to remove dark colour from repeatedly used palm oil
Ladda Meesuka,*, Saowanee Seammaib
ABSTRACT: Expanded perlite was used as a bleaching agent to remove dark colour from repeatedly used palm oil. It was found that non-activated expanded perlite was able to bleach the dark colour. The expanded perlite samples were also activated by acid and base before use. The base-activated perlite was able to bleach the dark colour of the repeatedly used palm oil but acid-activated perlite was not. The efficiency of base activated perlite was slightly better than that of non-activated expanded perlite. The bleaching mechanism could be explained mainly by physical adsorption. It was found that not only the colour of used oil was reduced but also the peroxide and acid values. Perlite could also adsorb the toxic compound benzo(a)pyrene from palm oil. Apart from measurement of the colour of oil, the peroxide and acid values as well as compositions of oil before and after bleaching were studied. Perlite samples before and after use were studied by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The non-activated and activated perlite samples were also studied with X-ray diffraction.
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Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10903, Thailand |
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Department of Mineral Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: fscildm@ku.ac.th
Received 16 Apr 2009, Accepted 6 Nov 2009
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