Improving the Quality of Baobab Oil by Filtration on Activated Carbon from the Fruit Capsules

The baobab, Adansonia digitata L., plays an important role in the economy of local populations. Nowadays, baobab seed oil is highly prized for its many cosmetic and therapeutic applications, and for its composition of unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and tocopherols. However, it undergoes numerous reactions during production, processing, transport, and storage, leading to undesirable products that make it unstable. The aim of this study was to provide local processors with innovative solutions for the treatment of unrefined vegetable oils. To this end, an experimental device for filtering crude oil on activated carbon made from fruit capsules was designed. The results obtained after the treatment show a significant decrease at (p < 5%) in acid value (1.62 to 0.58 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (4.40a to 0.50c mEqO2/Kg), chlorophyll concentration (1.81 to 0.50 mg/Kg) and primary and secondary oxidation products. According to these results, activated carbon’s adsorptive power eliminates oxidation products and certain pro-oxidants such as chlorophyll, resulting in a cleaner, more stable and better storable oil.

Processes for the Clarification of the Crude Oil of Baobab Seeds Extracted by Pressing on Activated Carbon Elaborated from the Capsules of the Fruit (Adansonia digitata L.)

The baobab, Adansonia digitata L. plays an important role in the economy of local populations. The oil from the seeds of the baobab fruit is nowadays highly prized because of its numerous cosmetic and therapeutic applications and its composition of unsaturated fatty acids, sterols and tocopherols. However, unlike refined oils, locally extracted baobab oil has not undergone purification operations to ensure its quality. Only a filtration on special cloths is carried out after decantation. Indeed, the oil obtained after pressing is cloudy because of the presence of various impurities. It therefore requires treatment operations to make it more attractive and of higher quality. Therefore, in order to provide innovative solutions to local companies to improve the quality of vegetable oils, a study of clarification (treatment) of crude oil is necessary. An experimental device has been developed in the laboratory. It includes a glass column and a filter bed of dune sand and activated carbon. This study has shown the efficiency of the experimental device. Indeed, the activated carbon, thanks to its adsorbing power, has allowed a significant decrease in turbidity at the 5% threshold, from 14.61 NTU for the raw oil to 0.08 NTU for the oil filtered on 3% carbon and 0.033 NTU for the oil filtered on 5% carbon. That is to say an abatement higher than 95%. This decrease in turbidity could be correlated with the decrease in brown index from 187.39a for the initial crude oil to 128.53d for the oil treated with 3% activated carbon versus 187.59a for the oil filtered on cloths. The lowest brown index was observed with the filtration using 5% activated carbon (35.99b). Thus, for the yellowness index, only the filtration on 5% charcoal allowed to obtain a significant decrease in yellowness. The yellowing index of the oil with 5% was 44.67b against 79.04a for the oil filtered with 3% activated carbon, 86.33a for the crude oil and 86.46a for the oil filtered on cloths. Finally, the oil sample treated with 5% activated carbon had the clearest clarity than the other samples with a clarity (L) equal to 97.98c against 95.63d for the oil treated with 3% carbon and 94.99b for the oil filtered on filter cloths. According to the results obtained, the experimental device made it possible to obtain a clearer baobab oil with a low brown index, thus improving the sensory quality of the oil.

Antioxidant Enrichment of Baobab Fruit Pulp Treated with Oil Extracted from the Seeds

The effect of the application of oil from baobab seeds on the antioxidant capacity and stability of ascorbic acid in the fruit pulp at varying temperature were evaluated. Ascorbic acid analysis of the fruit pulp revealed that the concentration in the raw extract of the pulp sullied rapidly matched with the extract treated with the seed oil. Compared with the raw extracts the formulated fruit pulp presented the highest concentration of the total ascorbic acid when both samples were subjected to varying temperatures at extended time periods. The results clearly indicated the antioxidant enrichment property of the baobab seed oil. This study demonstrates the potential of oil derived from baobab seed as having antioxidant enrichment capacity and might be a potential ingredient in pharmaceutical cosmetics formulations and food preparations.

Bongor盆地Baobab North油田浊积水道砂体构型表征

以乍得Bongor盆地Baobab North油田P组为例,探讨重力流水道砂体的沉积机理及构型特征。结合岩心测井等资料,确定了P组的沉积背景,明确了单一水道的类型及其形态结构,探讨了单一水道内部的泥质夹层的构型特征及沉积机理。通过上述研究,认为Baobab North油田P组主要发育三类单一水道沉积,Ⅰ类水道垂向上粒度呈典型正韵律,测井曲线自然伽马和自然电位以钟形为主;Ⅱ类水道在垂向上粒度以均质韵律为主,测井曲线自然伽马与自然电位多表现为箱形;Ⅲ类水道在垂向上粒度呈反韵律,测井曲线自然伽马、自然电位等在水道下部幅度较低,呈齿化钟形;单一水道内部主要发育三类近水平分布的泥质夹层,连续型泥质夹层由于保存程度较好,测井曲线多呈半回返和全回返,平面上泥质夹层顺水流方向较长(100~450 m),垂直水流方向较宽(70~300 m),且厚度较大(0.3~0.8 m);垂向上夹层频率较高(0.13~0.7)、夹层密度较大(0.04~0.25)。间断型泥质夹层在水道中心部位被完全冲刷或只有很薄一部分被保留下来,测井曲线为半回返或弱回返,平面上泥质夹层顺水流方向较短(50~250 m),垂直水流方向较窄(40~200 m),厚度较薄(0.15~0.5 m);垂向上夹层频率较低(0.12~0.4)、夹层密度较小(0.04~0.14)。复杂型泥质夹层是指连续型泥质夹层和间断型泥质夹层在单一水道砂体中同时发育,该类泥质夹层的规模与频率居中,顺水流方向长度介于80~320 m,垂直水流方向宽度介于55~240 m,厚度介于0.25~0.6 m,夹层频率介于0.12~0.45、夹层密度介于0.04~0.18。

高黏油用原油消泡剂的研制与应用

通过量筒瓶试法和中试测验,考察了不同加药质量浓度下高黏油用原油消泡剂RD-XPJ的消泡和抑泡性能。瓶试数据说明,消泡剂RD-XPJ的消泡/抑泡性能均优于市面所售消泡剂AD-1、AD-2、AD-3、AD-4,表现出快速消泡和高效抑泡性能。连续20天的中试数据显示,随着RD-XPJ的加药质量浓度优化,减小到最低加药质量浓度13 mg·L^(-1),脱气塔内液位仍低于警戒线2/3处,保障原油处理流程稳定,可替代现场在用消泡剂。