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PALM OIL FACTORY EFFLUENT TREATMENT BY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION IN LAGOONS Alan Southworth, Production Controller Guthrie Research Chemara Seremban, Kuala Lampur Malaysia INTRODUCTION The main purpose of this paper is to report on the design, installation and start-up of a pretreatment system for palm oil factory effluent using anaerobic digestion in lagoons. For those not familiar with the crop some background information is also provided on the oil palm, the palm oil extraction process and Malaysian Government requirements for effluent disposal. THE OIL PALM The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis jacq.) is indigenous to west and central Africa but is now grown as a plantation crop in many tropical areas of the world. In 1978 Malaysia had about 0.75 million hectares under oil palm cultivation and is currently the largest exporter of oil palm products. The oil palm produces fresh fruit bunches (FFB) throughout the year, although there are considerable monthly fluctuations in yield. The average yield in Malaysia is about 23 metric tons FFB/hectare for mature palms. Palms are planted at a density of around 135 per hectare and each palm will produce about 9 or 10 fruit bunches per year. Bunches weigh between 10 and 32 kg; the average is about 19 kg. An average bunch contains 1000 fruit which each consist of a fleshy mesocarp enclosing a nut. Palm oil is extracted from the mesocarp and palm kernels from the nut. Palm oil forms about 22% of the weight of the bunch and palm kernels about 4.5%. The overall yield of palm oil per mature hectare is therefore approximately 5 metric tons and of palm kernels 1 metric ton. THE PALM OIL EXTRACTION PROCESS In Malaysia, FFB are processed in central factories to extract crude palm oil which is sold to edible oil refiners for conversion into products such as cooking oils, margarines, etc. Palm kernels are also extracted and sold to seed crushers to produce palm kernel oil. Palm oil extraction factories vary in capacity from throughputs of 10 metric tons FFB per hour to 60 metric tons FFB per hour. A simplified flow diagram of the oil extraction process is shown in Figure 1. Only small amounts of effluent are generated in the palm kernel extraction process; this is not shown in the diagram. The process is in four stages- sterilization, stripping, digestion/pressing and clarification. Sterilization In this stage FFB is subjected to a steam treatment in horizontal cylindrical pressure vessels. Steam pressures of two atmospheres are used for about 75 minutes for each charge. Charges of between 10 and 20 metric tons FFB per sterilizer are normally used. The purposes of sterilization are: (a) To loosen individual fruit from bunches; (b) To inactivate an enzyme which produces free fatty acids in palm oil; and (c) To soften the fruit mesocarp for further processing. 421
Object Description
Purdue Identification Number | ETRIWC197943 |
Title | Palm oil factory effluent treatment by anaerobic digestion in lagoons |
Author | Southworth, Alan |
Date of Original | 1979 |
Conference Title | Proceedings of the 34th Industrial Waste Conference |
Conference Front Matter (copy and paste) | http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/engext,30453 |
Extent of Original | p. 421-434 |
Collection Title | Engineering Technical Reports Collection, Purdue University |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Rights Statement | Digital object copyright Purdue University. All rights reserved. |
Language | eng |
Type (DCMI) | text |
Format | JP2 |
Date Digitized | 2009-06-24 |
Capture Device | Fujitsu fi-5650C |
Capture Details | ScandAll 21 |
Resolution | 300 ppi |
Color Depth | 8 bit |
Description
Title | page0421 |
Collection Title | Engineering Technical Reports Collection, Purdue University |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Rights Statement | Digital copyright Purdue University. All rights reserved. |
Language | eng |
Type (DCMI) | text |
Format | JP2 |
Capture Device | Fujitsu fi-5650C |
Capture Details | ScandAll 21 |
Transcript | PALM OIL FACTORY EFFLUENT TREATMENT BY ANAEROBIC DIGESTION IN LAGOONS Alan Southworth, Production Controller Guthrie Research Chemara Seremban, Kuala Lampur Malaysia INTRODUCTION The main purpose of this paper is to report on the design, installation and start-up of a pretreatment system for palm oil factory effluent using anaerobic digestion in lagoons. For those not familiar with the crop some background information is also provided on the oil palm, the palm oil extraction process and Malaysian Government requirements for effluent disposal. THE OIL PALM The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis jacq.) is indigenous to west and central Africa but is now grown as a plantation crop in many tropical areas of the world. In 1978 Malaysia had about 0.75 million hectares under oil palm cultivation and is currently the largest exporter of oil palm products. The oil palm produces fresh fruit bunches (FFB) throughout the year, although there are considerable monthly fluctuations in yield. The average yield in Malaysia is about 23 metric tons FFB/hectare for mature palms. Palms are planted at a density of around 135 per hectare and each palm will produce about 9 or 10 fruit bunches per year. Bunches weigh between 10 and 32 kg; the average is about 19 kg. An average bunch contains 1000 fruit which each consist of a fleshy mesocarp enclosing a nut. Palm oil is extracted from the mesocarp and palm kernels from the nut. Palm oil forms about 22% of the weight of the bunch and palm kernels about 4.5%. The overall yield of palm oil per mature hectare is therefore approximately 5 metric tons and of palm kernels 1 metric ton. THE PALM OIL EXTRACTION PROCESS In Malaysia, FFB are processed in central factories to extract crude palm oil which is sold to edible oil refiners for conversion into products such as cooking oils, margarines, etc. Palm kernels are also extracted and sold to seed crushers to produce palm kernel oil. Palm oil extraction factories vary in capacity from throughputs of 10 metric tons FFB per hour to 60 metric tons FFB per hour. A simplified flow diagram of the oil extraction process is shown in Figure 1. Only small amounts of effluent are generated in the palm kernel extraction process; this is not shown in the diagram. The process is in four stages- sterilization, stripping, digestion/pressing and clarification. Sterilization In this stage FFB is subjected to a steam treatment in horizontal cylindrical pressure vessels. Steam pressures of two atmospheres are used for about 75 minutes for each charge. Charges of between 10 and 20 metric tons FFB per sterilizer are normally used. The purposes of sterilization are: (a) To loosen individual fruit from bunches; (b) To inactivate an enzyme which produces free fatty acids in palm oil; and (c) To soften the fruit mesocarp for further processing. 421 |
Resolution | 300 ppi |
Color Depth | 8 bit |
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