Regeneration and characterization of spent bleaching earth: recycling in the corn oil bleaching process
Abstract
The spent bleaching earth (SBE) is a solid waste from the edible oil refining industry which generates soil contamination was successfully recycled after deoiling through an extraction process using different organic solvents, followed by heat treatment. In the current study, the effects of factors, such as solvent to (SBE) ratio [1:1–5:1], temperature [20–40 °C], and stirring time [30–60 min] on the efficiency of extracted oil were investigated by maceration method. Characterization analyses (SEM, XRD, XRFA and TGA) were carried out to compare the characteristics of samples. The best oil extraction efficiency was obtained at the highest level of solvent to (SBE) ratio (MR = 5) at 30 °C temperature and at the 45 minutes stirring time this condition led to 72.82% oil extraction yield. The corn oil bleaching efficiency using the SBE treated at optimal condition and heated at 400 °C was improved to 84.75%.
Keyword : bleaching process, spent bleaching earth (SBE), soil contamination, regeneration
How to Cite
Benkhoud, I., & Ben Mansour, L. (2025). Regeneration and characterization of spent bleaching earth: recycling in the corn oil bleaching process. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management, 33(2), 207–214. https://doi.org/10.3846/jeelm.2025.23565
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Sabah, E., Çinar, M., & Çelik, M. S. (2007). Decolorization of vegetable oils: Adsorption mechanism of β-carotene on acid-activated sepiolite. Food Chemistry, 100(4), 1661–1668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.12.052
Sariǧolan, Ş., Yuzer, H., & Koral, M. (2010). Acid activation and bleaching performance of Turkish (somas) bentonite in crude soybean oil. Particulate Science and Technology, 28(4), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/02726351.2010.496296
Shahi, M., Sabour, M. R. Amiri, A., & Ghasemnezhad, M. (2015). Cleaning spent bleaching clay using solvent extraction method and RSM statistical approach. Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Science Journal (CSJ), 36(7), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.66920
Soetaredjo, F. E., Laysandra, L., Putro, J. N., Santoso, S. P., Angkawijaya, A. E., Yuliana, M., Ju, Y.-H., Zhou, C.-H., & Ismadji, S. (2021). Ecological-safe and low-cost activated-bleaching earth: Preparation, characteristics, bleaching performance, and scale-up production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 279, Ar¬ticle 123793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123793
Zio, S., Cisse, H., Zongo, O., Guira, F., Tapsoba, F., Somda, N. S., Hama-Ba, F., Songre-Ouattara, L. T., Zongo, C., Traore, Y., & Savadogo, A. (2020). The oils refining process and contaminants in edible oils: A review. Journal of Food Technology Research, 7(1), 9–47. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.58.2020.71.9.47
Abdelbasir, S. M., Shehab, A. I., & Khalek, M. A. A. (2023). Spent bleaching earth; recycling and utilization techniques: A review. Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances, 17, Article 200124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2022.200124
Bachmann, S. A. L., Valle, R. D. C. S. C., Vegini, A. A., & Ta¬va¬res, L. B. B. (2020). Determination of optimum conditions for thermal regeneration and characterization of a spent bleaching earth. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 8(2), Article 103503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2019.103503
Barrera-Arellano, D., Badan-Ribeiro, A. P., & Serna-Saldivar, S. O. (2018). Corn oil: Composition, processing, and utilization. In Corn: Chemistry and technology (3rd ed., pp. 593–613). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-811971-6.00021-8
Chew, S. C., & Nyam, K. L. (2019). Refining of edible oils. In Lipids and edible oils: Properties, processing, and applications (pp. 213–241). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-817105-9.00006-9
Collombier, D. (1995). Plans d’expérience factoriels: construction et propriétés des fractions de plans [Factorial experimental designs: Construction and properties of design fractions] (Vol. 21). Springer Science & Business Media.
De Greyt, W. (2013). Edible oil refining: Current and future technologies. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118535202.ch5
Eko Saputro, K., Siswanti, P., Wahyu Nugroho, D., Ikono, R., Noviyanto, A., & Taufiqu Rochman, N. (2020). Reactivating adsorption capacities of spent bleaching earth for using in crude palm oil industry. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 924(1), Article 012014. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/924/1/012014
Foletto, E. L., Alves, C. C. A., Sganzerla, L. R., & Porto, L. M. (2002). Regeneration and utilization of spent bleaching clay. Latin American Applied Research, 32(2), 205–208.
Food and Agriculture Organization. (1994). Processing and refining edible oils. In Fats and oils in human nutrition (pp. 33–43). https://www.fao.org/4/v4700e/v4700e00.htm
Franke, S., Fröhlich, K., Werner, S., Böhm, V., & Schöne, F. (2010). Analysis of carotenoids and vitamin E in selected oilseeds, press cakes and oils. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 112(10), 1122–1129. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.200900251
Gharby, S. (2022). Refining vegetable oils: Chemical and physical refining. The Scientific World Journal, 2022(1), Article 6627013. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6627013
Goupy, J. (2006). Plans d’expériences [Design of experiments]. Ed. Techniques Ingénieur.
Hatami, A. M., Sabour, M. R., & Amiri, A. (2018). Recycling process of spent bleaching clay: Optimization by response surface methodology. Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 4(1), 9–18.
Kafarov, V. (1974). Méthodes cybernétiques et technologie chimique [Cybernetic methods and chemical technology]. Éditions Mir Moscou.
Lettre de L’ONAGRI. (2020). Observatoire Nationale de l’Agriculture [National Observatory of Agriculture]. http://www.onagri.nat.tn/uploads/lettre/lettre-tri-1-2020-M.pdf
Low, A., Shamsuddin, R., & Siyal, A. A. (2022). Economic analysis of waste minimisation and energy recovery from spent bleaching earth. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 7, Article 100418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2022.100418
Merikhy, A., Heydari, A., Eskandari, H., & Nematollahzadeh, A. (2019). Revalorization of spent bleaching earth a waste from vegetable oil refinery plant by an efficient solvent extraction system. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 10(10), 3045–3055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-018-0311-0
Naser, J., Avbenake, O. P., Dabai, F. N., & Jibril, B. Y. (2021). Regeneration of spent bleaching earth and conversion of recovered oil to biodiesel. Waste Management, 126, 258–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.03.024
Organisation Internationale de Normalisation. (2010). Corps gras d’origines animale et vegetale – Determination de la couleur Lovibond – Methode automatique [Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of Lovibond colour – Automatic method] (ISO Norme No. 27608:2010). https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:27608:ed-1:v1:fr
Pujiastuti, C., Sumada, K., Armidianti, M., Rimarsya, A., & Ahmad, A. R. B. (2022). Bleaching earth recovery from waste to purify cooking oil by extraction-activation method. Journal of Research and Technology, 8(2), 169–177. https://doi.org/10.55732/jrt.v8i2.401
Sabah, E., Çinar, M., & Çelik, M. S. (2007). Decolorization of vegetable oils: Adsorption mechanism of β-carotene on acid-activated sepiolite. Food Chemistry, 100(4), 1661–1668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.12.052
Sariǧolan, Ş., Yuzer, H., & Koral, M. (2010). Acid activation and bleaching performance of Turkish (somas) bentonite in crude soybean oil. Particulate Science and Technology, 28(4), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/02726351.2010.496296
Shahi, M., Sabour, M. R. Amiri, A., & Ghasemnezhad, M. (2015). Cleaning spent bleaching clay using solvent extraction method and RSM statistical approach. Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Science Journal (CSJ), 36(7), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.66920
Soetaredjo, F. E., Laysandra, L., Putro, J. N., Santoso, S. P., Angkawijaya, A. E., Yuliana, M., Ju, Y.-H., Zhou, C.-H., & Ismadji, S. (2021). Ecological-safe and low-cost activated-bleaching earth: Preparation, characteristics, bleaching performance, and scale-up production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 279, Ar¬ticle 123793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123793
Zio, S., Cisse, H., Zongo, O., Guira, F., Tapsoba, F., Somda, N. S., Hama-Ba, F., Songre-Ouattara, L. T., Zongo, C., Traore, Y., & Savadogo, A. (2020). The oils refining process and contaminants in edible oils: A review. Journal of Food Technology Research, 7(1), 9–47. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.58.2020.71.9.47