Possibility of bleaching sunflower oil with synthetic zeolite

Abstract

In this paper, the possibilities and effects of using domestic industrially produced zeolite for bleaching crude sunflower oil, compared to imported commercial bleaching earth, were examined. The parameters of the bleaching process in laboratory conditions were: temperature 95°C, contact time 30 min, and mass fractions of bleaching agent in oil: 0.2, 1, 2 and 3%. The following methods were used to characterize the bleaching agents: XRD, FTIR, BET and SEM/EDS. The bleaching efficiency parameters were determined by laboratory methods prescribed by the relevant ordinance on edible vegetable oils, and included: soap content, peroxide value and fatty acid composition. The results of the research showed that the effects of bleaching sunflower oil with synthetic zeolite are similar to the effects of bleaching with imported commercial bleaching earth, with the former showing a slightly higher effectiveness in reducing the peroxide value.