Using a Strong Anion‐Exchange Resin to Deacidify Red Palm Oil

Abstract

This work aims to evaluate the use of an alternative process to deacidify palm oil using a strong anion‐exchange resin (Amberlyst A26 OH). The effects of the feed flow rate and the free fatty acids content in the feed stream were investigated by measuring breakthrough curves for bleached palm oil dissolved in n‐propanol. The resin had sufficient capacity and affinity to remove palmitic and oleic acids (98–99 %). The bed utilization efficiency can be optimized by choosing lower flow rates for oils with low levels of acidity, while higher flow rates can be used for oils with higher free fatty acids content. The ion‐exchange process can be used to obtain deacidified red palm oil, while preserving carotenoid and tocopherol/tocotrienol content. This alternative process has the advantage of occurring under mild conditions (44.0 ± 0.8 °C and atmospheric pressure) when compared with the conditions used in molecular distillation (150.0–170.0 °C and 2.7–3.3 Pa).

Preservation of minor components and deacidification of rice bran oil using strong anionic resin

“…The method used was the same as that suggested by Cuevas et al. (2013), where the original resin was soaked in n‐propanol and transferred to a jacketed glass column (FGG, São Paulo, Brazil). Four bed volumes of n‐propanol at a flow rate of two bed volumes per hour were used in the resin washing procedure.…”

“…All breakthrough assays were performed in a jacketed glass column (FGG, São Paulo, Brazil) with dimensions previously reported by Cuevas et al. (2013). For the accomplishment of the ion exchange trials, new batches of 150 ml of pretreated resin were used to pack the column for each experimental run.…”

“…The ratio of the free acidity in the output stream to that in the feed stream ( W out / W F ) was monitored until the resin saturation time of W out / W F = 0.97 was reached, considering the suggestions made by Cuevas et al. (2013) and Deboni et al. (2013).…”

“…In fact, the use of Amberlyst A26 OH resin in the deacidification of refined sunflower oil acidified with oleic acid without the presence of solvent (Ilgen, 2014), of degummed soybean oil containing natural acidity in isopropanol (Deboni et al., 2013) and of bleached palm oil dissolved in n‐propanol (Cuevas et al., 2013) was successfully carried out, reducing the acid content from 11.0% to 0.2%, 2.19% to 0.04%, and 3.35% to 0.11%, respectively. In addition, Cuevas et al.…”

“…In addition, Cuevas et al. (2013) preserved the minor components in palm oil due by using milder conditions than those used in traditional refining processes, demonstrating that deacidification by ion exchange is a potential alternative to conventional deacidification processes. Recent studies assessed the processes of deacidification and production of ethyl biodiesel from soybean oil using this same type of resin (Deboni, Batista, & Meirelles, 2015; Deboni, Hirata, Shimamoto, Tubino, & Meirelles, 2018).…”