Oil purification is essential in the chemical and food industries. It ensures the oil we consume is of high quality and safe. Activated bleaching earth is the key material that is used in the process of oil purification. 
 

What is Bleaching Earth?
 

Bleaching earth is commonly called bleaching clay. It is a fine and powdery substance that is made from natural minerals like attapulgite and bentonite. These natural minerals contain montmorillonite. Montmorillonite is a type of clay that has high absorbent properties, which makes bleaching earth a great component for removing impurities from oil. 

Bleaching earth can be found in many parts of the world including the USA, China, Brazil and India. Before using it for oil purification, it is processed and treated with acid to boost its ability to absorb the impurities. 

How Does Bleaching Earth Work?

The role of activated bleaching earth is to remove the impurities that can affect the colour, taste and stability of oil. The impurities present in the oil include pigments such as carotenoids and chlorophyll, phospholipids, trace metals and oxidation products. 

Role of Activated Bleaching Earth in Oil Purification

The following are the points that explain the role of activated bleaching earth in oil purification: 

Absorption: During the process of absorption, the activated bleaching earth absorbs pigments and colour bodies like chlorophyll and carotenoids. It gives crude oil its dark colour. This product makes the oil clearer and lighter. Bleaching earth also removes metals like copper and iron that can cause oil to go rancid. This helps the oil stay fresh for a longer time.

Degumming: It is a process where bleaching earth removes phospholipids and clarifies the oil. The gum-like substance can make oil unstable and cloudy.

Neutralization: This process helps the bleaching earth neutralize components like fatty acids and oxidation products. Neutralization is done because these products can degrade the quality of oil during oil processing. 

Benefits of Using Bleaching Earth

There are several benefits of using activated bleaching earth in oil purification. Some of them are:

1. It helps in giving improved oil quality by removing impurities. This helps in increasing the shelf life of the oil. 
    
2. Using bleaching earth from a leading activated bleaching earth manufacturer in India can improve the smell and taste of edible oils. It helps in making the oil look more appealing to its consumers. 
    
3. By eliminating trace metals and other pro-oxidants, bleaching earth can help in the prevention of rancidity. This helps in keeping oils fresh for a long time. 
    
4. Purified oils can be used as vegetable oils, animal fats and even for biodiesel purification.

Process of Oil Purification
 

There are several steps included in the process of oil purification. Some of them are:
 

Degumming: It is a process where water or an acid is added to crude oil for the removal of phospholipids and hydration. It is done by using a centrifuge which helps in separating the hydrated gums from the oil.
 

Neutralization: During this process, the oil is treated with sodium hydroxide. It helps in freeing the oil from fatty acids by forming a soap stock.
 

Bleaching: For bleaching, the mixture is heated and stirred continuously to ensure the absorption of impurities. Using the filtration process, the oil and bleaching earth are separated.
 

Deodorization: The final step involves the removal of any remaining volatile compounds that can majorly affect the smell and taste of the oil. For the process of deodorization, the oil is heated under vacuum conditions to achieve the best quality oil.
 

Use Natural Active Clay LLP’s Activated Bleaching Earth 
 

Natural Active Clay LLP is a leading activated bleaching earth manufacturer in India. Our facility allows us to procure premium raw materials essential for producing the best quality activated bleaching earth. 
 

We are on a mission to provide the best and pure quality products to our consumers. We aim to set new standards of eco-friendliness and efficiency by using cutting-edge technology and research and development for manufacturing our products. 
 

Connect with us for further assistance at Natural Active Clay LLP’s website.