Sepiolite: An Effective Bleaching Adsorbent for the Physical Refining of Degummed Rapeseed Oil

• Published in: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society Vol. 82; no. 12; pp. 911 - 916
• Main Authors: Sabah, E, Celik, M.S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer‐Verlag 01.12.2005; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adsorbents; Biological and medical sciences; Bleaching adsorbent; bleaching agents; degumming; Fat industries; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Oxidation; physical refining; Rape plants; rapeseed oil; Seeds; sepiolite; Sorption; Vegetable oils; Rapeseed oil; Oils and fats industry; physical refining; Bleaching; Refining; Vegetable oil; Bleaching adsorbent; Edible oil; Adsorbent; Sepiolite
• ISSN: 0003-021X; 1558-9331
• DOI: 10.1007/s11746-005-1164-4

The efficiency of Turkish sepiolite in bleaching degummed rapeseed oil has been investigated. Experimental results indicate that the bleaching efficiency is more dependent on the ratio of sepiolite to oil than on operating parameters such as contact time and temperature. An increase in the sepiolite dosage reduces the color bodies of the rapeseed oil. Its effect on oxidation state, however, is complex and related to both primary and secondary oxidation products. The removal of impurities such as chlorophyll a, β‐carotene, and phosphorus increases with increasing sepiolite dosage and reaches a maxumum at 1.5% sepiolite addition and 100°C bleaching temperature. Chlorophyll a, β‐carotene, and phosphorus adsorptions can be described by a mechanism involving surface are and porosity of acid‐activated sepiolite as key variables. The sorption is also independent of the polarity of the adsorbate molecules. Direct comparison of activated sepiolite with the commercial bleaching earth Tonsil 210 FF shows that in some respects sepiolite offers significant advantages.