Dry Modified Bleaching Earth Acid Activation Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bleaching earth production methods are costly and inefficient, generating acidic wastewater and requiring high-energy drying processes, which increase production costs and environmental impact, while also resulting in bleaching earths with lower adsorption capacity.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the moderate drying of water-rich raw clays to a reduced water content, followed by activation with solid organic or concentrated inorganic acids, eliminating the need for additional drying steps and allowing for the production of dry-modified bleaching earth with a higher water content, which maintains effective bleaching performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If highly active bleaching earths are produced by dealumination with concentrated acids at high temperatures, then bleaching power and specific surface area are improved, but production costs and environmental impact worsen due to complex wastewater treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the key parameter of water content from the conventional low level (8-12 wt.%) to a higher level (15-50 wt.%), eliminating the need for energy-intensive drying while maintaining effective bleaching performance. This parameter change fundamentally alters the production process economics and environmental footprint
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses naturally occurring clays with relatively short service life expectations, accepting that these materials will be spent and require disposal. This approach avoids the complex, expensive production processes of highly active bleaching earths while achieving adequate bleaching results through the unique combination of higher water content and natural clay properties
2Ease of manufacture
If naturally active clays are used for bleaching, then production cost is reduced, but adsorption capacity and bleaching effectiveness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the water content parameter to 15-50 wt.% (higher than conventional), the invention enhances the adsorption capacity and bleaching effectiveness of naturally active clays without increasing production costs. The higher water content appears to improve the clay's ability to adsorb impurities while maintaining cost-effectiveness
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional drying processes are used to reduce water content to 8-12 wt.%, then storage stability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of removing water to achieve stability (conventional approach), the invention inverts the logic by adding or retaining water (15-50 wt.%) to achieve both stability and improved performance. This inverted approach eliminates energy-intensive drying while maintaining or enhancing storage stability through the unique properties of water-rich bleaching earth
4Reliability
If larger quantities of naturally active bleaching earths are used to achieve desired bleaching results, then bleaching effectiveness is improved, but oil loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the water content parameter to 15-50 wt.% in naturally active clays, which enhances their adsorption capacity and bleaching effectiveness per unit mass. This allows achieving desired bleaching results with smaller quantities of bleaching earth, thereby reducing oil loss while maintaining effectiveness
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces production costs and energy consumption, enhances bleaching earth's adsorption capacity, and improves the efficiency of oil refining without sacrificing quality, as demonstrated by the bleaching and deodorization results in experimental examples.
Implementation Method 1
activation with solid organic or concentrated inorganic acids
Implementation Method 2
This adsorptive purification significantly improves the taste, color, and shelf life of the oils and fats
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for producing a bleaching earth, comprising the steps of drying a water-rich raw clay to a reduced water content, mixing the raw clay having a reduced water content with a solid organic and/or concentrated inorganic acid, and grinding the mixture of raw clay having a reduced water content and solid organic and/or concentrated inorganic acid, in which case the bleaching earth then has a water content of 20% to 40% by weight. The invention further encompasses a bleaching earth obtainable by this process and to the use thereof for bleaching of raw animal or vegetable oil.