How can one Make use of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)?

admin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:46:33 +0000

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) means highly polluting waste-water which is usually discarded in disposal ponds, leading to the leaching of contaminants that pollute the groundwater and soil, and in the discharge of methane gas into the atmosphere, is from Palm Oil processing. POME is an oily wastewater generated by palm oil processing mills and contains various suspended components. This liquid waste mixed with the wastes from steriliser condensate and cooling water is called palm oil mill effluent (POME). On average, a standard palm oil mill generate about 1 tonne of liquid waste with biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) 27 kg, chemical oxygen demand (COD) 62 kg, suspended solids (SS) 35 kg and oil and grease 6 kg for each and every ton of FFB (fresh fruit bunches) processed.

You can find very high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), which is 100 times over the municipal sewage in POME. As no chemical is added during the oil extraction process POME is a non-toxic waste, but because of organic and nutrient contents, it will pose environmental issues due to large oxygen depleting capability in aquatic system. The high organic matter is due to the presence of different sugars for example arabinose, xylose, glucose, galactose and manose. The oil-bearing cellulosic materials from the fruits are the main suspended solids in the POME. Since the POME is non-toxic as no chemical is added in the oil extraction process, it is a good source of nutrients for microorganisms.

At this point, it is a new approach in managing POME to recover the renewable organic-based product. The technology is aimed to recover by-products for example volatile fatty acid, biogas and poly-hydroxyalkanoates to promote sustainability of the palm oil industry. Furthermore, it is envisaged that POME could be sustainably reused as a fermentation substrate in production of numerous metabolites through biotechnological advances. In addition, POME involves high organic acids and is suitable to be used as a carbon source.

Oil Mill Maintenance

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:48:01 +0000

Oil mill maintenance is the key to producing high quality oil and also increasing the life span of the mill. A mill is an expensive machine and you will want it to give you good service. For this to happen, you must take good care of it. Avoid overworking it and also make regular checks to make sure that all the screws are tight and replace worn out parts.

The milling process needs strict maintenance for the machine to produce quality product. Oil processing has several steps starting with harvesting the seeds, washing them, drying and then pressing them. These are very crucial in maintaining the quality of the final product. For the machine, it is good to take a look at it once in a week to make sure it is in good condition. Wipe dust off using a wet cloth or a brush. Also, add oil before using the machine in case you are using a manual oil mill. For an electric mill, do not forget to switch off the lights once you are through.

While the mill can handle large scale production, it is always advisable to take breaks in between. This gives the machine time to cool off to ensure the heat is not transferred to the oil. Besides, the mortar might get damaged if it becomes too hot. An additional aspect of maintenance is training the person who will be suing the machine how to operate it. A person who is trained can identify a malfunction early and take early measures to avoid costly repair.

An oil mill is used to extract oil through pressing seeds and nuts. It is important to take good care of it so it can produce oil of high quality.

Oil Press Machines » Oil Mill Maintenance

How can one Make use of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)?

Oil Mill Maintenance