Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 13 No. 2, December 2001, p. 39-44
REFINING OF CRUDE GLYCERINE RECOVERED FROM GLYCEROL RESIDUE BY SIMPLE VACUUM DISTILLATION
Glycerol residue obtained from the refining of glycerol in a palm kernel oil methyl ester plant is a schedule waste and can be processed to recover its glycerol. On average, 141.8 g (14.2%) distilled glycerine (97% purity) were recovered from 1 kg glycerol residue by a simple vacuum distillation at 120 ° C – 126 ° C and 4.0 x 10-1 – 4.0 x 10-2 mbar pressure. The pH for the distillation was kept <5 in order to avoid foaming. The characteristics of the distilled glycerine were: 96.6% glycerol, 0.03% ash, 1% water (Karl Fischer method), 2.4% matter organic non-glycerol (MONG) and pH 3.5
KEYWORDS:* Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and
Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
** Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
P.O. Box 10620, 50720 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.