Electrostatic field as an emergent technology in refining crude oils: a review

AbstractVegetable oils and fatty acid esters (FAEs) are commonly used in various industrial and commercial applications. However, the presence of contaminants in these oils can severely affect their functionality and suitability. Conventional refining techniques for vegetable oils typically involve degumming, neutralization, bleaching and deodorization. Meanwhile, refining of FAEs often utilize wet or dry washing processes. These are often resource-intensive, producing substantial waste products, causing neutral oil loss, and can also result in the loss of micronutrients. To address these challenges, researchers have explored the use of nano-adsorbents and electrostatic field (E-field) technologies as alternatives in purifying industrial dielectric oils by removing polar particles and contaminants. Nano-adsorbents demonstrated increased efficiency in removing polar contamination while minimizing neutral oil loss. However, removal of these spent adsorbents can be challenging due to their nano-size, and physicochemical properties. The use of these materials combined with E-field technologies offers a novel and sustainable solution for removing spent nano-adsorbents and contaminants. This review provides an overview of current traditional and novel refining technologies for vegetable oils and FAEs, including their associated limitations. Compared to conventional methods, E-field treatment offers several advantages, making it an attractive alternative to conventional approaches in food processing and oil refining.Keywords: Vegetable oilfatty acid estersoil refiningelectrostatic field Author contributionsLi Zhou: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition. Timothy J. Tse: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Farley Chicilo: Writing – review & editing. Venkatesh Meda: Supervision. Martin J.T. Reaney: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition.Disclosure statementDr. Martin J.T. Reaney is the founder of, and has an equity interest in, Prairie Tide Diversified Inc. (PTD, Saskatoon, SK, Canada: previous company name is Prairie Tide Chemicals Inc.).Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture through the Agriculture Development Fund [20180253] and the China Scholarship Council [201708420163]. This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) funding through the Discover Grant program (application number RGPIN-2018-06631).