A model for the extraction of oil from spent bleaching clays

Abstract EN

A model which describes the effect of solvent-to-clay ratio (SCR) on the amount of oil that can be extracted from spent bleaching clays is proposed.

In this model, it is assumed that the oil and the coloring materials can be treated as a pseudo-single component for which the adsorption equilibrium can be described by Freundlich isotherm.

Laboratory extraction data carried out at equilibrium were obtained for spent bleaching clays used for decolorization of degummed com oil.

The solvents used were, acetone, hexane, petroleum ether, and methylethylketone.

For all solvents, extraction runs were conducted at room temperature (25±1°C), mixing speed of 200 r.p.m., and extraction time of 5 minutes.

SCR was varied between 1 to 9 ml solvent/g spent clay.

Under these operating conditions, equilibrium is achieved and the film diffusion resistance was found to be negligible.

The suggested model was tested using the experimental data obtained under the conditions mentioned above and was found to correlate these data adequately.