Determination of usage potential of plant-derived silica materials as an adsorbent in regenaration of frying oils

The objective of this study is test to potential use of silica-rich plant-derived materials (barley husk, wheat bran and oat husk) as adsorbent materials in the regeneration of frying oil against to the Magnesol XL. The synthetic and natural-based adsorbent treatments (3% w/w) were performed to sunflower oil as frying media and french fries process was completed at totally 18 hours. All physico-chemical parameters occured in frying oils, textural properties of fried potato sample were investigated during the frying process. Surface and pore morphologies (by SEM and BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and fluorescence (XRF) measurements were considered to examine their effectivenes of selected adsorbent materials. Surface areas, average pore sizes and pore volumes of agricultural-derived adsorbent materials used in frying oil treatments were detected as 0,82-92,37 m2/g, 10,70-46,5Å and 0,001-0,05 cm3/g, respectively. It was thought that the frying oils treated with wheat bran ash could have lower free fatty acidity, p-Anisidine and TOTOX values owing to the highest adsorption capacity value of wheat bran ash. The ranges of analytical measurements performed in the five different treatment groups were reported as total polar material (8,50-16,50%), viscosity (41,68-100,60 cP ), chroma value ( 7,94-14,85), hue value (95,72-140,0), peroxide (3,43-6,05 meq active O2/kg oil), p-anisidin (27,52-78,26) and TOTOX (37,56-85,856). Frying oils treatment with wheat bran and oat husk ashes have more effective role than Magnesol XL to prevent trans-acid formation with progress in frying time. Consequentially, it has been determined that ashes having the different morphologically structures obtained from barley husk, wheat bran and oat husk) can be used successfully to regeneration of used frying oils. Both provide added value and commercial usage area to agricultural-derived materials and also prove the effectiveness of natural adsorbents which can be used as an alternatively in place of synthetic adsorbents are accepted as most important findings of this thesis study