Desalination 148 (2002) 99102

Membrane ultrafiltration of crude soybean oil

T.V.R. Alicieo*, E.S. Mendes, N.C. Pereira, O.C. Motta Lima
Departamento de Engenharia QuimicaUniversidade Estadual de Maring, Colombo Avenue 5790, Bl. D-90, CEP 87020-900, Maring PR, Brazil Tel. +55 (44) 261-4323, Fax +55 (44) 263-3440, email: tatianavra@deq.uem.br

Received 11 February 2002; accepted 5 April 2002 Abstract In the present work, it is evaluated the influence of temperature and transmembrane pressure on the crude soybean oil permeate flux through a ceramic tubular membrane (pore size 0.01 m) and a polysulphone hollow fiber membrane (pore size 100 KDa). Temperatures and pressures values are 50, 60 and 70C, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 bar, for the ceramic membrane; 50, 60 and 70C, 0.7 and 1.4 bar, for the polysulphone one. Furthermore, it is also verified some physical properties of the permeate. Keywords: Soybean oil; Ultrafiltration; Ceramic and polysulphone membranes

1. Introduction Oils are animal and vegetable water insoluble substances. Typically, oilseeds are cleaned and, depending on the type of seed, may be processed in one of two ways. High-fat content seeds may first be pre-pressed before solvent extraction. However, low-fat content seeds usually are flaked and directly extracted by solvent [4]. The miscella (a extracted oil and solvent mixture) exits the extractor at 7075 wt% solvent content and, currently, the solvent is recovery by destilation. Triacyleglycerols constitute over 95% of crude vegetable oils, with the remaining components including phospholipids, free fatty acids (FFAs),
*Corresponding author.

pigments, sterols, carbohydrates, proteins, and their degradation products. These substances may impart undesirable flavor and color, and shorten the oil shelf life. Thus, crude vegetable oils undergo complex refining processes to achieve the desired quality [3]. Due to the multi-step processes, large amounts of energy are consumed. Process engineering and design of refining equipment have been improved considerably during the last tem years, primarily by reduction of energy requirements and reduction of neutral oil losses. However, the basics principles of edible oil processing have not changed for almost sixty years [4].

Presented at the International Congress on Membranes and Membrane Processes (ICOM), Toulouse, France, July 712, 2002. 0011-9164/02/$ See front matter 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

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T.V.R. Alicieo et al. / Desalination 148 (2002) 99102

A membrane is a semipermeable barrier that separates different species of a solution by allowing restricted or regulated passage of some of the components of the mixture [6]. Membrane technology can be applied to oil industry to simplify the whole process, reduce energy consumption and reduce wastewater production [3]. So that, this study investigated the ultrafiltration of soybean oil using ceramic and polysulphone membranes. 2. Materials and methods Crude soybean oil was clarified by ultrafiltration in a cross flow apparatus UF NETZSCH, model 027.06-1C1/07-0005/AI (Fig. 1), through a ceramic tubular membrane (-Al2O 3/TiO2) Shumacher GmbH-Ti 01070, pore sizes 0.01 m (Fig. 2), and a polysulphone hollow fiber membrane AIG Tecnology Coorporation, with MWCO of 100 KDa (Fig. 3). Temperatures and pressures values are: 50, 60 and 70C, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 bar, to the ceramic tubular membrane; 50, 60 and 70C, 0.7 and 1.4 bar, to the hollow fiber polysulphone one.
Fig. 2. Ceramic tubular membrane.

Fig. 3. Polysulphone hollow fiber membrane.

The membrane process performance was expressed in terms of the permeate flux and the percent of rejection (R) of phosphorus, soaps, free fatty acids (FFA), color and chlorophyll [Eq. (1)]. The phosphorus, FFA, soaps and chlorophyll content were measured using the AOCS method [1]. Color was measured using the Lovibond tintometer [1].

R(% ) = 1
Fig. 1. Cross flow apparatus.

Cp Ci

100

(1)

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5.0 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5

101

17,0

60C; 0.7 Bar 60C; 1.5 Bar 50C; 1.5 Bar

JP (Kg/m.h)

12 ,0

50C; 0.7 Bar 70C; 0.7 Bar 70C; 1.5 Bar

3.0 Bar
2.0 1.5
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000

7,0

4.5 Bar 6.0 Bar

2 ,0 0 50 0 0 10 0 0 0

Time (s)

Time ( s )

Fig. 4. Permeate flux at 50C ceramic membrane.

Fig. 5. Permeate flux polysulphone membrane.

Ci and Cp are the contents of each component in the feed and the permeate oils, respectively. 3. Results and discussion Fig. 4 shows the results of permeate flux at 50C in the tubular ceramic membrane, and Fig. 5 shows the results of permeate flux at different temperatures in the hollow fiber polyssulphone membrane. Tables 1 and 2 show the feed concentration, permeate concentration and percent of rejection of each component. Permeate flux in the ceramic membrane (Fig. 4) increased with transmembrane pressure,
Table 1 Clarification of soybean oil in ceramic membrane

but stayed the same with temperature. In the polysulphone one (Fig. 5), it increased with temperature and transmembrane pressure. The ceramic membrane showed higher rejection of phosphorus, FFA, soaps, chlorophyll, and color than the polysulphone one (Tables 1 and 2). 4. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the permeate flux was lower for the ceramic membrane than the polysulphone one. For the ceramic tubular membrane, the best permeate flux was 4.16 kg/m2.h, at 50C and 6.0 bar and for the polysulfone hollow
Table 2 Clarification of soybean oil in polysulphone membrane

Analysis FFA, % Soaps, ppm Phosphorus, ppm Chlorophyll, ppm Color

Feed concent. 0.80 1720 463.32 0.882 50Y 5.0R

Permeate concent. 0.36 36 3.97 0.685 35Y 3.5R

R, % 54.45 97.91 99.14 22.34 42.00

Analysis

Feed concent.

Permeate concent. 0.561 269 172 0.87 51Y 3.6R

R, % 34.39 85.81 73.37 20.91 37.50

FFA, % 0.855 Soaps, ppm 1896 Phosphorus, ppm 646 Chlorophyll, ppm 1.10 Color 72Y 5.2R

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T.V.R. Alicieo et al. / Desalination 148 (2002) 99102 applications and research in the edible oil industry an assessment, J. AOCS, 67(4) (1990) 239249. E. Moreto e R. Fett, Tecnologia de leos e Gorduras Vegetais na Indstria de Alimentos, So Paulo SP, Livraria Varela, 1998. L.P. Raman, M. Cheryan and N. Rajagopalan, Deacidification of soybean oil by membrane technology, J. Amer. Oil Chemists Soc., 73(2) (1996) 219224. J.B. Snape and M. Nakajima, Processing of agricultural fats and oils using membrane technology, J. Food Eng., 30 (1996) 141. R. Subramanian and M. Nakajima, Membrane degumming of crude soybean and rapeseed oils, J. Amer. Oil Chemists Soc., 74(8) (1997) 971975. R. Subramanian, M. Nakajima, T. Kimura et al., Membrane process for premium quality expellerpressed vegetable oils, Food Res. Int., 31(8) 587593.

fiber membrane it was 11.58 kg/m2.h, at 70C and 1.5 bar. However, a higher rejection was obtained with the ceramic one.

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References
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