Oil Processing Research Articles

Protective effect of ascorbic acid against renal injury induced by 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol-dipalmitate in rats.

3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE) are a group of contaminants which are mainly formed during heat processing of edible oil and fat-based foods. The kidney is the primary target organ for the toxic effects of 3-MCPDE. 3-MCPD-di-palmitate exists in a variety of oils and fats, and is the most common and relatively high proportion of 3-MCPDE. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of ascorbic acid on 3-MCPD-di-palmitate-induced renal injury in rats. Thirty 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, namely control, 3-MCPD-di-palmitate (240 mg/kg·bw), 3-MCPD-di-palmitate (240 mg/kg·bw) + ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg·bw), 3-MCPD-di-palmitate (240 mg/kg·bw) + ascorbic acid (200 mg/kg·bw) and 3-MCPD-di-palmitate (240 mg/kg·bw) + ascorbic acid (500 mg/kg·bw). These treatments were administered via gavage for a duration of 4 weeks. The effects of ascorbic acid on 3-MCPDE-induced kidney injury in rats were investigated by evaluating the kidney index, renal function (BUN, CRE), renal histopathology, oxidative stress markers (ROS, GSH, MDA, and T-AOC), DNA oxidation marker (8-OHdG), and activities of Caspase 3 and 9. The results showed that the exposure to 3-MCPDE significantly increased the kidney index, BUN and CRE levels, ROS and MDA levels, 8-OHdG levels, and activities of Caspase 3 and 9, while decreasing GSH and T-AOC. The combined treatment with 3-MCPDE and ascorbic acid can effectively restore the aforementioned parameters. The present study concluded that ascorbic acid effectively attenuates the renal apoptosis and oxidative homeostasis induced by 3-MCPDE uptake thereby intervening in renal injury.

Oxidation protection efficiency of the combination of Minthostachys mollis K. and Origanum vulgare L. essential oils with "chain-breaking" and "termination-enhancing" antioxidant mechanisms.

The use of antioxidants is known to reduce lipid oxidation. This study aimed to assess the interaction of two antioxidant mechanisms, namely, "chain-breaking" and "termination-enhancing" by combining natural antioxidants derived from "oregano" (Origanum vulgare L.) and "peperina" (Minthostachys mollis K.) essential oils (EOs) in an accelerated oxidation process of sunflower oil at 60°C. Concentrations of 0.05% w/w (1) and 0.02% w/w (2) of the combined oregano and peperina EOs were evaluated. Chemical and volatile oxidation markers were determined in comparison with the pure compounds, an antioxidant-free control, and a BHT-treated sample (0.02% w/w). Although the combinations exhibited lower oxidation indicator values (Anisidine≈136) compared to the control (Anisidine≈213), no evidence of a synergistic effect was observed (Anisidine: Oregano 1≈52; Oregano 2≈199; Peperina 1≈155; Peperina 2≈153), indicating that the combination did not enhance their antioxidant activity beyond that of the pure EOs. Thus, evaluating these combinations in other food matrices is important. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Food oxidation is one of the main causes of food spoilage, and the search for natural antioxidants has become a necessity for society's increasing food knowledge and consumption preference. The research is focused on demonstrating that not only natural phenolic compounds with a "chain-breaking" mechanism have efficient antioxidant activity but also non-phenolic terpenes using the "termination enhancer" mechanism are efficient, but also the combination of them, which provides more alternative antioxidants for industrial applications.

Phycoremediation of rice bran oil processing wastewater and biodiesel production using green microalgae, Scenedesmus obliquus: a green approach to environmental protection and remediation.

The current study investigated the enhancement of biomass in S. obliquus, using rice bran oil processing (RBOP) wastewater in different RBOP wastewater concentrations, while also aiming to produce biofuel and treat the wastewater simultaneously. The strain was grown in Blue Green-11 (BG11) media as well as RBOP wastewater at different wastewater concentrations with distilled water at 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% under controlled experimental settings. The study findings demonstrated a notable enhancement in the characteristics of RBOP wastewater during a 16-day growth period. The 75% RBOP wastewater concentration demonstrated superior efficacy as a growth medium for producing biomass as well as lipids, among other wastewater concentrations. Accordingly, physicochemical parameters and heavy metal percent of the RBOP wastewater were assessed. The collected biomass was employed in the production of biodiesel, and the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were measured, along with an assessment of its characteristics. Physicochemical analysis indicated that S. obliquus was able to effectively decrease levels of nitrate, phosphate, sulfur, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in RBOP wastewater. The heavy metal reduction percentages for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As) were 69.43%, 72.94%, 72.99%, 90.49%, and 91.5%, respectively, following treatment with S. obliquus. FTIR indicated the existence of various functional groups (including alcohol, carboxylic acid) on the surface of the microalgal biomass. The FAME profile of S. obliquus exhibited a moderate level of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid content. S. obliquus demonstrated significant phycoremediation capabilities and potential for lipid production. This study has indicated that S. obliquus is a potential candidate for the treatment of wastewater.

Mathematical modelling of essential oil supercritical carbon dioxide extraction from chamomile flowers

AbstractThis study investigates the supercritical extraction process of essential oil from chamomile flowers. Essential oils of chamomile are used extensively for medicinal purposes. Many different chamomile products have been developed, the most popular of which is herbal tea. In this study, a mathematical model is formulated that describes the governing mass transfer phenomena in a solid–fluid environment under supercritical conditions using carbon dioxide. The concept of quasi‐one‐dimensional flow is applied to reduce the number of spatial dimensions. The flow of carbon dioxide is assumed to be uniform across any cross‐section, although the area available for the fluid phase can vary along the extractor. The physical properties of the solvent are estimated based on the Peng–Robinson equation of state. Model parameters, including the partition factor, internal diffusion coefficient, and decaying factor, were determined through maximum likelihood estimation based on experimental data assuming normally distributed errors. The model parameters were combined to obtain a set of correlations. The generalized process model is capable of reproducing the dataset with satisfactory accuracy.

Study of the rheology and flow risk of hydrate slurries containing combined anti-agglomerants: Effects of wax, water cut and continuous phase composition

As oil and gas extraction increasingly ventures into deep-sea environments, the issues surrounding the flow safety of hydrate and wax deposits have become more critical. There is an urgent need to develop environmentally friendly and adaptable hydrate anti-agglomerants, and to expand the database and knowledge base for risk management strategies to ensure optimal production safety. This study formulated combined anti-agglomerants with varying HLB values using Span 80 and Tween 80 in different ratios. Rheological experiments were conducted to investigate their synergistic anti-agglomeration performance in water-in-oil emulsions and their adaptability in environments with wax, varying water contents, and different continuous phase compositions. The results indicate that, in comparison to a single anti-agglomerant, the combined anti-agglomerants not only increases the critical time for hydrate formation but also reduces peak viscosity and stable viscosity by 23–90 % and 25–85 %, respectively. Additionally, an index for assessing the flow risk of hydrate slurries under specific conditions was proposed, which demonstrates that the combined anti-agglomerant with an HLB value of 8.6 exhibits exceptional performance across various conditions. This finding is significant for refining risk management strategies for hydrates in deep-sea oil and gas transportation processes.

Effect of naphthenic oil and viscosity reduction process on fatigue life and rheological properties of crumb rubber modified asphalt

Crumb rubber modified asphalt (CRMA) has garnered attention for its superior low-temperature crack resistance, yet its high viscosity hinders practical application. Naphthenic oil (NO), employed as a viscosity-reducing agent, effectively lowers CRMA viscosity, but its influence on CRMA's fatigue and rheological properties remains unclear. This study prepares viscosity-reduced CRMA via both non-swelling and pre-swelling processes, assessing the impact of NO and the viscosity reduction processes on CRMA's fatigue life at −12°C, 25°C, and 65°C. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations analyze the mechanism of NO action from a molecular energy perspective. Results show that NO and the reduction process affect the loss of polar functional groups and molecular energy in CRMA, thereby altering its fatigue life. Specifically, at −12°C, NO enhances CRMA's fatigue life, while the pre-swelling process decreases it. At 25°C, both NO and pre-swelling improve CRMA's fatigue life, but at 65°C, they diminish it. Furthermore, the coverage of CRMA surfaces by NO molecules and the poor gradation of rubber particles reduce CRMA's high-temperature deformation resistance but enhance low-temperature crack resistance. The pre-swelling process, compared to the non-swelling one, strengthens CRMA's rheological properties at both high and low temperatures.

Advancing Geotechnical Evaluation of Wellbores: A Robust and Precise Model for Predicting Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of Rocks in Oil and Gas Wells

This study examines the efficacy of various machine learning models for predicting the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rocks in oil and gas wells, which are essential for ensuring wellbore stability and optimizing drilling operations. The investigation encompasses Linear Regression, ensemble methods (including Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, and LightGBM), support vector machine-based regression (SVM-SVR), and multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN) models. The results demonstrate that XGBoost and Gradient Boosting offer superior predictive accuracy for UCS in drillability, as indicated by low Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values of 3.87% and 4.18%, respectively, and high R2 scores (0.8542 for XGBoost). These models emerge as optimal choices for UCS prediction focused on drillability, offering increased accuracy and reliability in practical engineering scenarios. Ensemble methods and MLP-ANN emerge as frontrunners, providing valuable tools for improving wellbore stability assessments, optimizing drilling parameter selection, and facilitating informed decision-making processes in oil and gas drilling operations. Moreover, this study lays a foundation for further research in drillability-centred predictive modelling for geotechnical parameters, advancing our understanding of rock behaviour under drilling conditions.

Development of an eco-fractionation process for Ricinodendron heudelotii oil to obtain α-eleostearic acid and β-eleostearic acid

Abstract The present article studies the transformations and fractionation of the reserve lipids of Ricinodendron heudelotii. The native triglycerides of this oil are composed mainly of conjugated polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular α-eleostearic acid C18:3 n– 5 (9c, 11t, 13t) at 60%. This particular fatty acid of CLnA family exerts many activities potentially beneficial for health: anti-inflammatory, anti-leukemic, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anti-ulcer and anti-diabetic. A process for transforming this acid into its isomers β-eleostearic acid and catalpic acid was explored with the aim of obtaining fractions enriched in β-eleostearic acid C18:3 n– 5 (9t, 11t, 13t). The β-eleostearic acid is a fatty acid of great interest because it is even more reactive and more efficient as antioxidant than α-eleostearic acid due to its higher trans content. Isomerization reaction of α-eleostearic acid in oil was carried out using artificial solar radiation treatment. The enrichment of concentrates in β-eleostearic acid was therefore tested using an eco-fractionation process. This process was carried out in two stages. The first step was the Candida rugosa lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of triglycerides from native or isomerized Ricinodendron heudelotii oil. The second step was fractionation of the reaction medium obtained after hydrolysis. Triglyceride hydrolysis was complete, with a yield of free fatty acids of over 95% after 2 h of reaction. Treatment of the reaction media yielded 3 lipid concentrates with new chemical compositions of polyunsaturated fatty acids: a first concentrate, derived from hydrolysis of the native oil, composed of 60% α-eleostearic acid and 22% linoleic acid, and two other concentrates derived from fractionation of the hydrolysate of the oil isomerized by radiation. One was composed of 34% linoleic acid, 21% β-eleostearic acid, 11% α-eleostearic acid and 6% catalpic acid, and the last concentrate was composed of over 80% β-eleostearic acid. In addition to offering nutritional benefits similar to those of α-eleostearic acid, β-eleostearic acid also offers an interesting physical property: a very high melting point of 72 °C. Such a polyunsaturated fatty acid, which is solid at room temperature, could prove to be a raw material of choice, particularly in the world of food formulation, where manufacturers are looking for replacements with physical properties close to those of palm oil (the melting point of palmitic acid is 62 °C). Ricinodendron heudelotii oil has thus demonstrated its major role as a source of the triptych of α-eleostearic, β-eleostearic and linoleic fatty acids.

INVESTIGATION OF THE CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF HYDRATED LIME CA(OH)2IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSESTERIFICATION OF VEGETABLE OILS

Currently, humanity is facing two existential problems: the constant reduction of fossil fuel supplies, primarily crude oil, and global climate change, which is a direct consequence of the increasing use of fossil fuels both in industry and in the transport sector[1,2].One of the possible solutions for these problems arebiofuels, fuels obtained from renewable raw materials, as it isbiodiesel [2], which attracted attention due to characteristics such as high degradability, non-toxicity and low emission of carbon monoxide, particulate matter and unburned hydrocarbons, as well as the possibility of being used either in a mixture with fossil with diesel or independently as 100% biodiesel fuel[3,4,5,6].Heterogeneous catalysts in transesterification processes, i.e. biodiesel production, have been an area of significant and extensive research for many years.It is noticeable that there are significantly fewer works in which the application of Ca(OH)2, was investigated, and the published works show conflicting results, both in terms of its catalytic activity and in terms of the achieved yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME).The main goal of this work was to analyze the physico-chemical, chemical, mineralogical, morphological and surface characteristics of hydrated lime produced by Stamal Ltd.Kreševo, with the aim of examining the possibility of its application as a catalyst in the process of transesterification of vegetable oils.The obtained results unequivocally show that by using this hydrated lime as a catalyst in the transesterification process of rapeseed oil, it is possible to achieve a yield of methyl esters that meets the minimum limit of 96.5% prescribed by the European standard for biodiesel, EN 14214. KEYWORDS:biodiesel, heterogeneous catalysts, hydrated lime

Characterization of Key Phytoconstituents in Nigella Oil from Diverse Sources and Their Transfer Efficiency During Oil Processing

Nigella sativa L., which is commonly referred to as black cumin, is a globally recognized plant for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical values of its seed oil. While numerous studies have investigated Nigella oil, there is a scarcity of information regarding the variation of key phytoconstituents in Nigella oil from diverse seed sources. It is also unclear whether the variation in phytoconstituents across different seed sources translates to variations in their respective oils, which is important for understanding their health benefits. Additionally, there is a gap in information on how specific phytochemicals transfer from seed to oil during the oil pressing. Therefore, this study investigated Nigella sourced from different genotypes and agricultural practices (planting densities and sowing times) to determine total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant capacity (FRAP and CUPRAC), thymoquinone (TQ), and fatty acid composition. The results showed significant variation of TPC (87.4–144.1 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g), FRAP (454.1–560.9 mg Trolox equivalents (TE)/100 g), CUPRAC (356.3–482.5 mg TE/100 g), TQ (1493.5–2268.4 mg TQ/100 g), saturated fatty acid (SFA) (65.9–83.7 mg/g), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) (42.5–67.8 mg/g), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (266.1–383.4 mg/g) in the oil derived from the seeds of different genotypes and agricultural practices. The total transfer of TPC, FRAP, and CUPRAC into the screw-pressed oil was relatively low, contributing only 2.3–3.7%, 7.1–11.7%, and 1.5–2.3%, respectively, of their total value in the respective seed. However, the transfer of TQ, SFA, MUFA, and PUFA was observed to be comparatively higher, contributing 32.8–48.5%, 60.8–84.2%, 45.6–74.4%, and 43.1–69.4%, respectively, of their total value in the respective seed. There was no strong correlation observed among TPC, FRAP, CUPRAC, and TQ, and none of the fatty acids showed a strong correlation with these variables.

Fertilization with Olive Mill Pomace Compost Can Moderate Pest Damage in a Superintensive Olive Grove

Olive cultivation is a key agricultural activity in Spain, primarily for producing oil. The extraction process of olive oil from the drupe yields a by-product known as ‘alperujo’, which can be composted and utilized as fertilizer. This research examines the impact of composted ‘alperujo’ on arthropod assemblages in the tree canopy, comparing it to mineral fertilization over the years 2021 and 2022. The study was conducted in two olive groves with different management systems (superintensive and traditional). Two types of sampling methods were used for the canopy: visual survey and sweep net. Under superintensive management, the presence and damage of Eriophyidae (Acari; Trombidiformes) in the shoots was significantly lower in the compost treatment in 2022 (20% of the shoots were occupied/damaged) compared to the mineral treatment (60% of the shoots were occupied/damaged). Araneae abundance was significantly higher (p = 0.033) in the compost treatment compared to the mineral treatment. However, under traditional management, no clear effect on arthropod assemblage was observed. In conclusion, the addition of compost to the superintensive grove helped to limit the presence of some arthropod pests compared to mineral treatment, contributing to a more sustainable crop. Grove type management appeared to play a significant role in the arthropod assemblages and effect of compost addition, but future research utilizing a greater number of groves (replicates) and an extended observation period should be performed to confirm these results.

Synthesis of long-chain polyester polymers and their properties as crude oil pour point depressant.

Using acrylic acid advanced ester and styrene as raw materials, the long-chain polyester polymer, polyacrylic acid advanced ester-styrene pour point depressant (P-PPD), was synthesized by molecular design, and its structure was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. In addition, this study experimentally investigated the effect of P-PPD on the phase equilibrium and induction time of natural gas hydrate inhibitors in deionized water (DW) and crude oil/water (O/W) systems, respectively. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and mono ethylene glycol (EG) were selected as representatives of kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHIs) and thermodynamic hydrate inhibitor (THIs), respectively. The results exhibit that P-PPD played a sight role in the phase equilibrium of hydrate, while the addition of P-PPD significantly prolonged the induction time of methane hydrate both in O/W + PVP, OW + EG and O/W + PVP + EG system, indicating that the addition of as-synthesized PPD has a synergistic inhibition effect on the nucleation ability of methane hydrate and can prevent hydrate from formatting during oil and gas transport process, and thus guarantee the flow assurance. The findings of this work will provide a data reference for the hybrid use of hydrate inhibitors and pour point depressants in oil and gas transport.

Microwave-Assisted Enzymatic Green Solvent Technology for the Extraction and Characterization of Sesame Seed Oil

Traditional methods of extracting oil with organic solvents raise issues related to health, safety, and the environment. Microwave-assisted enzymatic green solvent extraction (MAEGSE) technology is environment friendly because it involves less hazardous chemical synthesis, utilizes renewable feedstock, and decreases the chemical load and emissions produced by organic solvents. The solvents methanol, ethanol, and various cell wall degrading enzymes such as hemicellulose, viscozyme L, pectinase, xylanase, and cellulase were used in this study. The MAEGSE process of sesame oil was conducted, and the results indicated that, unlike the controlled group, no enzymes were used during the process. Among all the combinations a higher oil extraction efficiency was obtained with combination of pectinase and ethanol (37.27%) followed by the xylanase with ethanol (36.75%) from sesame seed without compromising the quality of oil. Among the enzymes tested, pectinase resulted in the highest oil extraction efficiency, followed by xylanase. Use of pectinase improved the oil extraction efficiency in both ethanol and methanol mediums. The outcomes suggested that the application of pectinase enzymes plays a significant role in increasing the oil yield in comparison with the control without compromising quality of oil. Oil extracted without the use of enzyme (control) had a lower free fatty acid (FFA) concentration than the oils extracted with MAEGSE. Even though the specific gravity (SG) and refractive index (RI) of extracted oils were not significantly different in the solvents, the saponification value (SV), peroxide value (PV), iodine value (IV), and free fatty acid (FFA) were found to have minor differences among the extraction techniques.

Effect of Phycocyanin and Butylated Hydroxytoluene on the Oxidative Stability of Safflower Oil: A Comprehensive Kinetic Investigation

ABSTRACTSafflower includes both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids especially high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). The addition of antioxidants during oil processing is one of the most effective methods. The aim of this research was to evaluate the oxidative stability of safflower oil supplemented with phycocyanin (PC) (200, 300, and 400 ppm), or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (200 ppm), at 80, 90, and 100°C during the storage time. Oxidative stability of oil was measured through the assay of primary and secondary oxidation products: Peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were evaluated, respectively. Results showed that the addition of PC at 300 and 400 ppm caused the lowest peroxide levels. In addition, the oxidation reactions of this oil followed a first‐order kinetic model for PV and TBARS. The amounts of PV and TBARS were dependent on the storage temperature; according to the Arrhenius equation, the activation energy (Ea) of the samples that contain 300 and 400 ppm PC decreased in all the tested temperatures compared to control. Results of the oxidative stability indicated that PC may have superior antioxidant properties than BHT and can potentially inhibit the oil oxidation. The sample containing 300 ppm PC demonstrated heightened efficacy in suppressing primary oxidation. Moreover, the results of sensory evaluation test showed that the 300 ppm PC sample received the highest rating for overall quality, which confirm that 300 ppm PC sample could be the best sample to decrease the oxidative stability in safflower oil.

Development and performance evaluation of a mechanically triggered release microcapsule based on in-situ polymerization for lost circulation control

Lost circulation is a critical technical challenge in the drilling and production process of underground oil and gas energy. In this study, a mechanically triggered release microcapsule for lost circulation control was designed and prepared with an in-situ polymerization using melamine, urea, formaldehyde, and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (healing agent) as raw materials. The structure and properties of the microcapsule were characterized by different techniques. The results show that the healing agent was successfully encapsulated by the resin shell, the median particle size (D50) of the microcapsules is 120.3 μm, and the thermal stability is excellent. The compatibility experiments show that the surface wettability and shear stability of the microcapsules are good in water-based drilling fluid. The compressive strength test reveals that the healing agent in the microcapsule is released and filled in the gap of the plugging zone under the contact pressure. The concentration of microcapsules and the size distribution of rigid particles are critical for the in-situ reinforcement effect. In addition, the fracture plugging performance of the microcapsule was studied. The results show that the pressure-bearing capacity of the plugging zone increases as the irregularity of the fracture surface increases. These findings indicate the microencapsulated healing agent is an effective lost circulation material (LCM), and provide a new technical idea for lost circulation control.

Optimization of Maintenance Strategies in an Oil and Gas Production Facility to Minimize Maintenance Cost

Abstract: In this study, maintenance strategies in an oil and gas production facility were optimized to minimize maintenance costs. The centrifugal pump system in Port Harcourt Refinery was selected for this study because it significantly impacts on the productivity of the refining plant. The pump system’s failure mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) were examined, and an optimized maintenance task was developed for the system. The exponential reliability method was employed to analyse the pump’s failure data to determine the pump systems' failure rate and reliability while reliability centred maintenance (RCM) and linear programming (LP) model were employed to optimize the pump’s maintenance strategies and the pump’s maintenance labour force respectively. Broad-based results of the optimized maintenance strategies consisted of on-condition-directed (CD) maintenance, preventive maintenance (PreM), and Proactive maintenance (ProM) strategies to be carried out monthly. The optimized maintenance labour force result revealed that approximately three engineers and two technicians should be employed for the pump’s maintenance task with a minimum of N2, 585, 700 as cost of salaries for the labour force monthly as against the current maintenance labour force requiring fourteen engineers and thirteen technicians monthly. The results showed that the labour cost decreased from N180,000,000 per year to N31,028,400 per year (approximately 82.76% reduction) using the proposed optimized maintenance task compared to the current maintenance plan. Conclusion and recommendation were made that the maintenance optimization technique presented in this work should be adopted by the oil and gas processing and production companies in order to minimize maintenance cost.

Analytical Determination of Squalene in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Processing By-Products, and Its Valorization as an Ingredient in Functional Food-A Critical Review.

Squalene is a bioactive compound with significant health benefits, predominantly found in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and its processing by-products. This critical review explores the analytical determination of squalene in EVOO and various by-products from olive oil production, highlighting its potential as a valuable ingredient in functional foods. An overview of existing analytical methods is provided, focusing on different approaches to sample preparation before analytical determination, evaluating their effectiveness in quantifying squalene concentrations. Studies not primarily centered on analytical methodologies or squalene quantification were excluded. A critical gap identified is the absence of an official method for squalene determination, which hinders comparability and standardization across studies, underscoring the importance of developing a reliable, standardized method to ensure accurate quantification. The valorization of squalene involves advocating for its extraction from olive oil processing by-products to enhance sustainability in the olive oil industry. By recovering squalene, the industry can not only reduce waste but also enhance functional food products with this health-promoting compound. Additionally, there is a need for economically sustainable and environmentally friendly extraction techniques that can be scaled up for industrial application, thus contributing to a circular economy within the olive oil sector.

Profitability of Oil Palm Production and Processing in Edo State, Nigeria

This work presents a comprehensive literature and studies conducted on the economic point of oil palm cultivation and processing and the factors that influences profitability of the sector as well as its contribution to the socioeconomic development of the farmers in Edo state. The study highlights the importance of oil palm production and processing in Edo, a major oil palm producing state in Nigeria.

Quality parameters during deep frying of avocado oil and extra-virgin olive oil

Avocado oil has a good thermal stability. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the behavior when hydrolysis is involved with oxidation processes. This study demonstrated potential for deep frying process of avocado oil. The behavior of cold-pressed olive oil and avocado oil in a domestic frying process with natural potatoes was studied. Both oils were subjected to successive frying cycles and the following chemical properties were analyzed: degree of acidity, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, total oxidation (TOTOX) value, polar compounds, total phe-nolic content, Fourier-transform infrared spectra with attenuated total reflectance, and fatty acid profile. A grad-ual increase was observed in the degree of acidity, p-anisidine, TOTOX, polar compounds but a decrease in total phenolic content during deep-frying period for both oils. It was determined that avocado oil and olive oil take 10 and 13 days of frying cycles, respectively, to reach the limit value of 25% for polar compounds. It was demon-strated that both vegetable oils are suitable for domestic frying processes, enduring a high number of deep-frying cycles before reaching the limit of polar compounds established by health regulations, despite the generation of oxidation and hydrolysis processes.

Experimental Assessment of Corrosion Properties for Materials Intended for Heavy Crude Processing.

Heavy crude oil processing presents significant challenges owing to its complex composition and requirement for processing conditions, which increase the process safety risk in crude processing units, such as fixed equipment, for instance pressure vessels and pipes. The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of heavy crude oils named A and B and the effect of sulfur-rich compounds and organic acids on the performance at high temperatures of three metallic alloys (5Cr-1/2Mo/ASTM A335GP5, X6CrNiMoTi17122/AISI-SAE 316Ti and Ni66.5Cu31.5/Monel 400) and propose an alternative to be used in pressure vessels and piping in refineries. This work was based on the need to understand the corrosivity of two heavy crude oils (A and B) from eastern Colombia in three materials, evaluated at three temperatures (200 °C, 250 °C and 300 °C) under the same conditions of pressure (200 psi) and rotation velocity (600 rpm) in a dynamic autoclave to simulate atmospheric conditions and conditions in vacuum refinery towers. An understanding of how these factors interact with the fundamental principles of corrosion kinetics is essential for developing an effective corrosion mitigation strategy. The results were interesting for applications requiring high corrosion resistance. X6CrNiMoTi17122/AISI-SAE 316Ti is a solid candidate for this application, with corrosion rates of 0.2 to 0.87 mpy. Ni66.5Cu31.5/Monel 400 exhibited significant corrosion rates up to 74.89 mpy, especially at higher temperatures (300 °C). 5Cr-1/2Mo/ASTM A335GP5 showed a generally moderate corrosion rate (2.04-5.57 mpy) in the evaluated temperature range.