Preliminary investigation of Ghanaian clays for decolorisation in the vegetable oil industry

Abstract

Eight samples of clay obtained from several regions in Ghana have been examined for their decolorisation potential on vegetable oils. The results obtained from the preliminary investigation with palm kernel oils showed that the clay types are very similar to Bentonite from other parts of the world. All the clay samples had decolorisation potential, and it was also shown that with acid/heat activation, their decolorisation efficiency was raised to almost that of the imported Fuller`s Earth. This the raises the hope of a future exploitation of the clays in this direction