Acid activation of bentonite for use as a vegetable oil bleaching agent

Abstract

The design of various experiments in order to assess and simulate the effects of the acid activation of an Algerian bentonite on the bleaching capacity of Colza oil is described. Three key parameters of the acidic activation, namely acid concentration, contact time and temperature, were considered. The calculations made indicated that all variables display advantageous effects up to a certain level on the effectiveness of bleaching, regarded as the responsefunction. The acid concentration exerts a predominant individual effect as compared to the other parameters. Some small interactions between parameters were considered. High bleaching capacity reached 99% as optimal activation. Under accurate statistical measurements, synergy phenomena could be observed. Excessive activation is discussed in terms of loss in both porosity and acid strength.