Method for refining glyceride oils using acid-treated amorphous silica
AssigneeW. R. Grace & Co.
InventorsPerry M. Parker, William A. Welsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Adsorbents comprising organic acid-treated amorphous silicas with effective average pore diameters of about 60 to about 5000 Angstroms are useful in processes for the removal of trace contaminants, specifically phospholipids and associated metal ions, from glyceride oils.
Claims21
A process for the removal of trace contaminants, which are phospholipids and associated metal ions, from glyceride oils by adsorbing said trace contaminants onto organic acid-treated amorphous silica to yield glyceride oils having commercially acceptable levels of said trace contamiannts, comprising:
- (a) selecting a glyceride oil with a phosphorus content in excess of about 1.0 ppm,
- (b) selecting an adsorbent comprising a suitable amorphous silica which has been treated with an organic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid and solutions thereof, in such a manner that at least a portion of said organic acid is retained in the pores of the silica to achieve a total volatiles content of at least about 10%,
- (c) contacting the glyceride oil of step (a) and the adsorbent of step (b),
- (d) alowing said trace contaminants to be adsorbed onto said adsorbent, and
- (e) separating the resulting phospholipid- and metal ion-depleted glycerides oil from the adsorbent.
An improved process for the refining of glyceride oil, which process comprises the steps of degumming, phospholipid removal, bleaching and deodorizing, the improvement comprising removing phospholipids by contacting said glyceride oil with amorphous silica having an effective average pore diameter of about 60 to about 5000 Anstroms, said silica having been treated with organic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid and solutions thereof, in such a manner that at least a portion of said organic acid is retained in the pores of the silica to achieve a total volatiles content of at least about 10%.
A sequential treatment process for decreasing the phospholipid content of said decolorizing glyceride oils, comprising (a) treating said glyceride oils by contacting with amorphous silica having an effective average pore diameter of about 60 to 5000 Angstroms, said silica having been treated with organic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, tartaric acid and solutions thereof, in such a manner that at least a portion of said organic acid is retained in the pores of the silica to achieve a total volatiles content of at least about 10%, and next (b) treating the phospholipid-depleted glyceride oil with bleaching earth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.