RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 7 No. 2, December 1995, p. 162-170

CHARACTERIZATION OF A BY-PRODUCT OF PALM OIL MILLING

AINIE, K*; SIEW, W L*; TAN, Y A*; MA, A N*

ABSTRACT

The characteristics of sludge palm oil, a by-product of the palm oil milling process, were analyzed using six quality parameters for oils and fats. Volatile analyses namely headspace gas chromatography and simultaneous distillation-extraction, were also carried out to help characterize the oil. Results from the ‘six parameter’ determinations showed that the oil had on average a moisture content of 0.99%, free fatty acid 44.43% (as palmitic acid), peroxide value 9.98, iodine value 49.81, saponification value 197.47 and unsaponifiable matter 0.350 per cent. The headspace gas distillation extract showed the presence of aldehydes, ketones, alkanes, furan, phenols, carboxylic acids and esters.

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* Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia,
P.O. Box 10620, 50720 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.