REGENERATION OF OILS USED FOR DEEP FRYING - A COMPARISON OF ACTIVE-FILTER AIDS

A number of products are promoted for the purpose of regenerating used frying oils. These materials are referred to as ''active'' filter aids. They are purported to adsorb polar compounds, which are the products of oil degradation, and to retain them for removal by filtration. To evaluate some of these materials, portions of a used oil were treated with each of several ''active'' filter aids and filtered in a commercial-type recirculating oil filter. The triglycerides and any adsorbed compounds were extracted from the filter cake with a series of increasingly polar organic solvents. The composition of each of the filter cakes was quantitatively determined. The materials tested in this study were diatomaceous earth, acid-activated bleaching earth, activated aluminas, silica, carbon and synthetic magnesium silicate. Significant differences in the adsorbent characteristics of the materials were found. Adsorption of polar oil degradation compounds ranged from 2 mg of polar compounds per gram of diatomaceous earth to about 200 mg/g magnesium silicate.