Treatment of vegetable oil refinery wastewater by sorption of oil and grease onto regranulated cork - A study in batch and continuous mode

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Ariana M. A. Pintor (Author) FEUP; Andreia G.Martins (Author) FEUP; Renata S. Souza (Author) FEUP; Vítor J. P. Vilar (Author) FEUP; Cidália M. S. Botelho (Author) FEUP; Rui A. R. Boaventura (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Chemical Engineering Journal

Vol. 268

Pages: 92-101

ISSN: 1385-8947

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 19 Citations

INSPEC

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Environmental engineering

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Technology > Environmental technology

Associated Projects

LA 20 - PROJECTO ESTRATÉGICO - LA 20 - 2013-2014

HIDROCORK - Utilização de resíduos ou subprodutos da cortiça para a eliminação de óleos e gorduras de águas

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00A-BJB

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2015.01.025

Abstract (EN): The feasibility of a novel sorption treatment using regranulated cork granules for oil and grease (O&G) removal from real vegetable oil refinery wastewaters (VORW) was investigated and compared to similar treatment of oil-in-water emulsions. O&G sorption from real VORW onto regranulated cork particles was studied at different pH and ionic strength conditions. Only wastewater acidification was able to effectively destabilize the O&G emulsion in the wastewater, enhancing the sorption process (efficiency over 80% at pH 2.0). A 3-factor, 3-level (3(3)) Box-Behnken experimental design was used to examine the effect of pH, ionic strength and soap/oil ratio on O&G removal efficiency in oil-in-water emulsions. All effects were significant (p < 0.05) when considered individually, but no significant interactions were observed. pH was found to have the strongest effect, supporting the initial observations in real VORW. The treatment of a simulated wastewater (60% soap/oil ratio, 0.2 M NaCl and pH 2.0) was completed in batch and continuous mode. Freundlich and linear partitioning models were used to describe 082G sorption equilibria. Continuous treatment was successfully carried out in a stirred-tank reactor using a cork dosage of 3.4 g L-1, a stirring speed of 250 rpm and a flowrate of 10 mL min(-1). The reactor was fed for 8 h with simulated wastewater (205 +/- 30 mg L-1 O&G) yielding an effluent with an O&G content below 15 mg L-1 (discharge limit defined in Portuguese legislation), A mass transfer model was applied to describe the O&G sorption kinetics in batch and continuous stirred-tank reactors.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10