1

OptionsforJatrophaOilPurification

ByWinfriedRijssenbeek
Date08/03/2010

1.Introduction
Although Jatropha grains can have high oil content ranging from 30 to 42%, not of that oil can be
extractedbycoldpressing(whichistheoptionofchoiceforextraction).Theoilthatcomesoutofthe
coldpressingstillcontainsmanyparticlesthatshouldbetakenoutbeforeusingthePPOinenginesor
as precursor for Biodiesel. This working paper presents the different methods for purification and
mentionssomeadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeach.Thiswillhelpthereadertomakeagoodchoice
on what to do. Much of the information in this article is from a Kenya feasibility study done by FACT
Foundationforaprivateclient.
2.OilpurificationMethods
Aftercoldpressing,PurePlantOil(PPO)containssolids.Dependingonthekindofseedandthepress
conditionsthesolidsaretypicallyintherangeof113percentbyweight.Therearethreemethodsto
purifytherawoilthatcomesfromthepress:
Sedimentation,
Filtration,
Washingwithwater.
2.1Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the simplest and cheapest way of cleaning by using the gravity of the earth. The
differenceindensityoftheoilandthesolidparticlesisusedtoseparatethefluid/solidmix.Patienceis
needed:drumswiththeJatrophaoilaresetawayforatimesothatthesedimentsintheoilsettleat
the bottom. The oil is then separated from the sediment and the sediment is left to rest and settle
further.

Priortosedimentation,therawoilisprefilteredinordertoavoiddebrisorunwantedrubbishtoend
up in the sedimentation tanks. It requires a simple mesh filter of one millimeter (mosquito netting)
that takes out e.g. insects or other rubbish. This filter can be put on the guiding funnel entering the
sedimentationtankseries.

Cleaning by sedimentation is recommended only by small processing capacities up to maximum daily

capacities.Forreasonsofspaceandtime,itisnotrecommendabletohaveasedimentationsystemfor
higher processing capacities. The disadvantage of sedimentation is a high oil loss in the sediment.
Filtrationandcentrifugationarebettersolutionsinordertogethigheroilyieldsafterthepurification
process.

Atypicalsedimentationsystemworksbytheoverflowprinciple.Ineachtank(sedimentationstep)the
oil should stay for 2 4 days at an ambient temperature of at least 20C. It is therefore necessary to
have a single tank volume of several days of oil production. The sedimentation time depends on
temperature because of the rapid increase in viscosity with falling temperature. Lower temperatures
lead to longer sedimentation times. The pipe connection diameter between the tanks should be at
least20to30mmtoavoidhighflowrates,andtokeepturbulencelow.

A solution for a continuously working sedimentation system is the following. The sediment in the
bottom of the tank can be led to a separating hopper. It can be evacuated from the tank by a sludge

2
pump. For this pumping it is recommended to have a valve between tank and hopper to avoid
evacuatingoil.Thesedimentcanthenbefilteredtokeepoillosseslow.Itisalsoagoodfeedstockwith
anevenhighercontentofoilthanpresscake.

Underoptimalconditions,sedimentationremovesallparticles>8mfromtherawoil.Thatiswhythe
plantoilmustbeleanedbyasecurityfilter(e.g.bagfilterorfinefilter)aftersedimentationwhenitis
destinedforuseasfuelinamotor.

The sedimentation tanks can be constructed as indicated in figure 1 below:. The vessels can be oil
drumsthatareconvertedorplasticvesselsusedforchemicalproducts.Ofsuchsedimentationline(4
vessels)5unitsarerequiredifaretentiontimeofmorethan4daysisrequired.

Figure1:Sedimentationsystemforjatrophaoil

Finallyalastoptionalstepisthatofabagfilter.Thisistoensurethatthelastfinesareremoved.

Figure2:VerticalbagfiltersuitableforthelastfiltrationofJatrophaoil,
asdemonstratedbyMFC

3
Example1
If a press produces 60 Liters/hour of raw Jatropha oil, and 2 presses are operated for 8 hrs
operational/day,thismeansanoutputof:60*2*8=960Litersorca1m
3
/day.Withadecantingtimeof
4days,therequiredvesselvolumewillbe4m
3
.Thisvolumeshouldbedividedover4tanksso1m
3
per
tank is sufficient. As explained, the tanks can best be constructed from a noncorrosive material. For
bestresult,thetemperatureisabout60
O
Csoplastictankscanbeused.Theycansimplybeputona
wooden base and wrapped with insulation material of 10 20 cm. The oil coming out the press does
notneedheatingbutcan befedinthetanksimmediately.In thetanksnoheatingshouldbedoneas
this will create flows of sediment. Tanks with a concentric bulging bottom (such as pressure vessels)
are easy for silt collection at the bottom. Such installation is not taking much space and seems to be
verysimpletocompose,withsomehandypeopleusinge.g.plasticwatertanksandwaterpipefittings
andtubes.

Example2
According to the Sheet Matrix Pressing Machines (Check FACT Foundation website), the mini 500 is
able to process 193 kg of seed per hr. This would mean that with an 8 hour working day, 1544 kg of
seed is processed. With 25% of extractable oil content, each press produces 386 liters of oil per day.
Withtwopressesthiswouldbe772liters/day.Sedimentationtankvolumefor4dayswouldthusbeca
3m
3
.Afirstdaystoragereceptiontankof1m
3
shouldbeadded.

2.2Oilfiltering
Another option that was investigated is the use of oil
filters. In this case the time of filtering can be reduced
considerably. Filters come in all kinds and sizes, but in
general are for larger installations where little space is
availableorwhereonedoesnothavetimetowait,for
allsortsofreasons.

Filters require regular cleaning, depending on the type

ofparticles,sizeofparticlesand%ofsiltperliterofoil.
Somefiltersinindustrialprocessesaremeshfiltersthat
can be automatically cleaned by reversing pressure in
thesystem.TheSMET/ROSEDOWNhassuchsystemsin
its manuals. The smallest one is for 150 TPD seed
processingwhichmakesintheJatrophacase30TPD.

Most industrial systems have high flow rates of more

than1m
3
/hr.Forsmallersystemshomemadesystems
canbefound.

In annex A number of filters are shown, from small

homemadetoindustrialsize.

Example
The filter capacity required is some 100 liter/hr of raw Jatropha oil. This can be done by placing a
number of units in parallel, for example four units of Filter 500 (referred to in the annex) that each
have an average capacity of 30 l/hr. Also one AMA bag and candle filter for 150 l/hr could be used
(www.amafiltergroup.com). This contains a rough filter of 200 m and a fine filter of 5 m and uses
pressure 2.5 bar to press the oil through. However, these units do require some form of oil pre
cleaning(sedimentremoval)inordertopreventfastblockageofthefilters.Usingcrudeoilcanleadto
Figure3:Bagandcandleoilfilter

4
frequent downtime and high costs, especially with smaller units (source: Janske van Eijk, Utrecht
University).

AlsoDajolkaprovidesfiltersindifferentkindsofmaterial,seetheannex.

2.3Washingtheoilwithwater
A last option to be considered is washing of the raw oil with water. Washing will not only remove
sedimentfromtheoil,butwillalsodegumit,whichmakesitacosteffectivemethod.Degummingisa
processwherephosphorlipidsareremovedbywater.Thisprocessrequirestheoiltobeheatedtoca
60 Degrees and mixed. Since the process requires also stirring machine or mixer and a separator it
might be more costly. Also the use of chemicals and the accurate monitoring make it less easy to
control.AlsotheprocesswillrequiretimetoseparatethePPOandwateryfraction.Thereisrelatively
littleexperiencewiththismethod.

In this case the filtering is in fact taking place in the washing process. Only at the entrance of the
enginearegularfilterwouldthenbeneeded.Currentlyitseemsthatthecombiningbothdegumming
and filtering is most cost effective. In the costing and space requirements this last process will not
differsomuchandthereforethecalculationscanremainunchanged.

3.Conclusions
The systems described above each have different advantages and are suitable for different process
scales.Table1belowgivesanoverview.

Table1:Advantagesanddisadvantagesofdifferentfilteringtechniques
Technology Advantage Disadvantage
Decanting/sedimentation Simpleoperationandlittleriskof
failure
Relativelyhighmaterial
requirements(largertanks)
Theresidualproduct(silt)canbe
usedinbiogassystem
Relativelyhighspacerequirements
Simpletanksandconstruction,
localmanufacturing
Technologyisnotsuitablefor
largerindustrialinstallations
Proventechnology
Requireshardlyornoenergy
Oilfiltering Requireslittlespace Moredemandingoperational
requirements(egfiltercleaning)
Proventechnology Mayrequireprecleaningtoavoid
fastfilterblockage
Technologyissuitableforlarger
industrialinstallations
Filterswashingrequiringcleaning
soaps,producingwastewater
Canbemadelocallyinfew
countriesonly
Requiresmoreenergy
Washing Goodincombinationdegumming
andparticlescleaning
Notcompletelytestedyetforsmall
systems
Seemsrelativelycomplexand
costly(similarlevelasmaking
biodiesel)

5
Based on the above it is recommended for small capacities (less than 500 l/hr) to use decantation
tankswithaonlyasimplerawcleaningfilterattheentrance.Ifsimpleoperationisrequiredandspace
isnoproblem,thisistheoptionofchoice.

Filtersystemsaresuitableforhighercapacitiesandaresuitableforsmallworkingspacesandmedium
qualifiedstaff.

Finally, washing and degumming are steps that can be combined when PPO is required to be used in
enginesaspureoil.Thisstepisroughlyintermsofcomplexitysimilartobiodieselproduction.

4.Furtherreading
Forfurtherreading,pleaserefertochapter4oftheJatrophahandbook,publishedontheFACT
Foundationwebsite(www.factfoundation.com)(seeannex5).

Annex1FilterSetsinfoandoffers

Filterfarm750

Thisisamachinepurposelydesignedtofilterwastevegetableoilforsemiprofessionals.Itfeatures4
largecanisters,asshownintheimageontheleft,whichgiveacombinedfilterareaofabout0.750
meterssquared.Muchofthecontaminationiswax,whichisremovedveryeffectivelyatflowratesof
between1000and5litresperhour,dependingonhowcloggedup
thecartridgesare.
Thephotoontherightshowshowaverywaxyoilcanbedirectly
filteredintofuelgradeoil(1micron).Withthissystemthereisno
longeranyneedforlengthysettlingtimesorlargesettlingtanks
takingupvaluablespace.

Whenthecartridgesarecompletelyfullthewaxcanbescraped
offandthecartridgesreplacedtocontinuefiltration.The
Filterfarm750ismosteffectivewhenrun24hoursadayand
thereisaPLCoptiontopreventtankoverfill,compressoroverrunetc.Priceofstandard
machineis1225.00includingdeliverytomainlandUK.Availability:Now.Deliverycurrently
6weeks.

Buytheplansandinstructionsforthisexcellentmachinefor45.00(termsandconditions
apply).Full3Dviewswithassemblybreakdown,sheetmetalcuttinglistandpartslist.Easyto
build.Availability:Now.Delivery10days.

Filterseperator500

Cleanupyourownwastecookingoilwiththismachine.
Itfeaturesa4stagefiltrationandseparationsystemnowshippedwiththe10micronindustrialfilter
atnoextracost.Theunitissplitintotwomaincompartmentsandhasanovelgravityseparation
methodintheleftsidewithapercolationtakeoffthatrunsintotherightsidesothatoilisskimmed
offthetopasitseparates,avoidingthe3weeksettlingtimethatisnormallyneeded.Noelectricityis
needed,althoughthereisanimmersionheaternowinstalledinthelefthandcompartmentwhich
canbeusedtogreatlyacceleratethesettlingtime.Unitsizeis1mhighx1mwidex0.5mdeepona
0.55mstand.
Themachinehasaverysmallamountofconsumablesandthebagfilteriscleanable,withverylow
maintenance.Justkeeptoppingitupwithwasteoil.Producesaminimumof10litresoffuelgrade
vegetableoileveryday,dependingonhowcleanthefilteris,thequalityoftheoilandtheambient
temperature.InSummer,withgoodoil,itcanprocessupto50litresperday.Price:850.00not
includingpackaginganddelivery.Availability:Now.Deliverycurrently3weeks.
Buytheplansandinstructionsforthisexcellentmachinefor45.00(termsandconditionsapply).Full
3Dviewswithassemblybreakdown,stepbystepfabricationsequence,sheetmetalcuttinglistand
partslist.Takethesedrawingstoyourfriendlylocalwelder.Professionalweldingandfabrication
skillsarerequired.Availability:Now.Delivery5days.

Costanalysis:
Filtrationmachinecost=850.00
Conversionkit=180.00+200.00forfitting.Total=1230.00
Annualcostforhardwarebasedon10%interestonaloan=123.00
Wastevegetableoil=FREEifcollectedpersonally.
Personnalfuelproductionallowancebeforetaxispayable=2,500litres.
Electricitycostperlitre=0.5pence
Totalcostperlitreoffuel=5.42penceperlitre.
Fuelcostsavingperyear=(1094.92)x2,500=2,602.00.

PortableoilfiltrationmachineGL150R

PortableOilFiltration&FillingMachine(GL150R)

PortableOilFiltration&FillingMachine(GL150R)
Packing: WoodenCase
ModelNO.: GL150R
Standard: ISO9001
HSCode: 84212990
Trademark: WANMEI
Origin: China
Min.Order: 1Set
Transportation: PerClient'sRequirement
ProductDescription
GLseriesportableoilfiltration&fillingmachineisdevelopedandproducedbyWanmeicompanyforoilfilling&filtration.It
isanidealequipmentforenterprisestotransferdifferentkindsofoilfromonecontainertotheother,andatthesametime
theoilgoesthroughfiltrationprocess.

GLseriesareapplicabletofiltermechanicaloil,hydraulicoil,compressoroil,turbineoil,insulatingoil,gasolineanddiesel
engineoilandotherlowviscositylubricatingoil,it'sveryconvenienttotransferoil,fillingoiltoelectricalequipment
togetherwithfiltrationprocess.

Itismadeofstainlesssteelandinnocuousfilterelement,soGLRoilpurifiercanbeusedforcookingoilanddrinks,suchas
rapeoil,sesameoilandpeanutoiletc.

Characteristic:
1.Themachineislightandportable,simpleinoperation,lownoise.
2.Itcantransferoilfromalongdistanceandhighlift,noneedoffilterpaper,cheapandenvironmentprotection.
3.Precisethreestagefiltersystemtoremovesolidmechanicalparticulatesandotherimpurities.
4.Themachineisinstalledwithwellsealedantiexplosionelectriccontrolcabinet(antiexplosionseries).
GLIGLII
Technicaldata
30 50 80 100 150 200 300
Flowrate(L/h) 1800 3000 4800 6000 9000 12000 18000
FiltrationPrecision(m) 1~10
Lift(m) 15
Inhale(m) 5
MotorPower(kw) 0.55 0.75 1.1 1.5 4 4 5.5
PowerSupply 50Hz380V
Inlet/OutletDiameter(mm) 20 25 32 32 40 40 50
(GLI) L 62 65 68 70 75 82 90
OverallDiameter W 48 55 55 55 86 37 10
(cm) H 48 50 53 55 58 63 71
(GLII) L 66 70 72 75 78 80 85
OverallDiameter W 30 33 36 38 42 45 48
(cm) H 73 76 79 82 85 89 92
NetWeightTypeI(kgs) 76 80 85 93 115 158 235
NetWeightTypeII(kgs) 56 68 75 80 108 138 215

Annex2FilterunitsMzproject

JandeJongsinformation:

Filteringcanbedoneinoneortwoways:
1Manually,;filteringwithgravityinbags,lowcostbutslow
2filteringinpressurizedfilters,highcost,butfast.

Re1Manual:
Step1isfilteringincottonbags,ofcrudesize200mu,withmanualfeedingandemptying,see
picture
Step2:filteringincottonbags,finesize5m.

AccordingJamesofDiligent,filteringwithonly200missufficienttoobtainmaxparticlesizeof5
mu,sinceaftersometimealayerofparticleswillpartlyblocktheporesofthefilterbags.

Step4:filteringincottonbags,upto5micron.
Firstcottonbagsof200micronareused

AquotationfromAMAinNLwasobtainedforbagsplusfilterhousing.AccordingAMA,filtersfrom
gauge(gaas)ofnylonareeasiertoclean(justpouringwater)thanthecottonfilters,butthesmall
sizefiltersareveryexpensive.Gaugesof100to200muarenotthatexpensive.

Re2:filteringinpressurizedfilters.

AMAfiltergroup

GlobalHeadquarters
Robijnstraat46
1812RBAlkmaar
TheNetherlands
t:+31(0)725273400
f:+31(0)725125207
ForInformation
Europe:
europe.info@amafiltergroup.com
Americas:
americas.info@amafiltergroup.com
Asia:asia.info@amafiltergroup.com
Web:www.amafiltergroup.com

Step5:AtDiligentTanzaniathefollowingisused:
AMAPressurefiltering,capacity150l/hr;Upto0,5
micron.Thisunitistooexpensive
(8250accordingtoAMA),
AMAisdeliveringthesetypeof
filters

TheFilterunitofDiligenthas2Filtercolumns,oneforprefilteringandoneforpressurizedfiltering
upto2.5bardifferencemaximum(otherwisethebagswillburst.)

Annex3DeSmetRosedownFilterinformation:largecapacity

Verticaltankfilter2716
Filterfeedpump2782
Aircompressorandreceiver2766
OilScreeningTankbest2782

Thescreeningtankprescreenscrudeoilcontainingup
to10%solids(alsoknownasfoots)fromthepresses
beforefinalfiltrationorclarificationinadecanter.The
tankissizedtotypicallyprovide30to60minutes
settlingtimeandbufferstorage.

Thesolidsareseparatedfromtheoilbyadredging
mechanismthatpicksupthesolidsfromthebottomof
thetankanddragsthemacrossawedgewirescreen.
Theoilreturnstothetank,whereitisextractedfrom
thetopofthereservoirforfinalclarification.The
dredgedsolidsareremovedforfurtherprocessingbyan
inbuiltdischargeconveyor.

Features&Options

FlexibleLayout&Installation
Thepositionsoftheinlet,oiloutlet,overflow,gearedmotorunitandmanwaycanbealteredtosuit
themilllayout,withincertaincontraints.

HighReliability
Theselfcleaningwedgewirescreenensuresefficientdrainageoftheoilandeliminatestheneedfor
regularcleaningofthescreen.

Fewmovingpartsandasimple,provenchainandscraperdesignensuretroublefreeoperation.

Toallowforthelargerquantitiesofsolids,largertankshavelongerdrainagetimes.

MaintenanceFriendly
Thetankshavebeendesignedfromtheoutsettogivegoodaccessformaintenance.Amanwayis
fittedinasuitableposition,dependingonthemilllayout.

FullyEnclosedSystem
Foroperatorsafety,topreservethequalityoftheoilandtopreventtheemissionofvapoursthe
tanksaresuppliedfullycovered.

ScreeningTankSpecifications
UNITSIZE 5TONNE 10TONNE 15TONNE 30TONNE 45TONNE
TypicalDuty(seedintake)

Fullpressing(TPD)

Prepressing(TPD)
150300
300500
500750
7501000
7501000
10001500

15002000

20003000
25003000
30005000
OVERALLSIZE

Length

Width

Height
3.0m
1.5m
2.0m
5.3m
1.5m
2.0m
7.8m
1.5m
2.0m

8.5m

2.5m

2.15m
11.5m
2.5m
2.15m
WEIGHTS

Shipping

NormalOperating

Full
2,000kg
4,800kg
7,900kg
2,900kg
7,900kg
13,200kg
4,000kg
11,200kg
19,000kg

5,500kg

18,500kg

38,600kg
7,000kg
25,000kg
51,900kg
DRIVE

InstalledPower 0.75kW 0.75kW 0.75kW

1.1kW 1.1kW

Annex4NielsAnsosupplierplasticlinedandsteellinedcandlefilters

Annex5backgrounddocuments

Cleaningofvegetableoil(source:FACTJatrophaHandbook)

Thissectionprovidesanoverviewoftheavailablecleaningtechnologiesforsolid/liquidseparationof
crude jatropha oil. The oil that leaves the expeller directly after pressing is further referred to as
crude jatropha oil. The crude oil contains significant amounts of solid material that need to be
removed.Thesolidscanbemechanicallyseparatedfromtheoil,basedonparticlesize(filtration)or
on specific gravity (sedimentation, centrifuging). The two separation principles can also be used in
series.Sections4.4.1through4.4.3willsuccessivelytreatsedimentation,filtrationandcentrifuging.

Thecrudejatrophaoilleavingtheexpellercontains515%solidsbyweight.Thiscomesdownto10
30% by volume, depending on what the sediments are. In addition, the circumstances during
pressingandtheintendedapplicationfortheoilmayrequirefurtherprocessingofthecrudeoil.For
soapmaking and lamp fuel, the quality requirements are less stringent than when applying the
jatropha oil in a diesel engine. In most cases, vegetable oil produced by cold pressing does not
require degumming and neutralization. However, presses appear to operate at much higher
temperatureswhenprocessingjatrophacomparedtorapeseed.Atypicalprocessingtemperaturefor
rapeseedis4550C.MeasurementsinaDanishBT50(80100C,thermocouplesinpresshead)anda
Keller P0100 (75C, infrared measurement) show values above 70C. If rapeseed reaches
temperaturesabove6070Ctheoilrequiresanadditionalneutralizingsteptoremovethephosphor
that dissolved into the oil under the influence of heat. Whether or not this can be extrapolated to
jatrophaoilisunclearatthemoment,butitisatleastsomethingtokeepinmind.Pressingathigher
temperaturesyieldsmoreoilbutinexchangerequirestheseadditionalcleaningsteps.

As cleaning is most important for fuel production, the section below applies mainly to fuel
production. Prior to use in a diesel engine the oil should be free of all particles > 5 m to prevent
clogging of fuel filters. Normal diesel fuel filters have a pore size of 510 m. The cleaning process
shouldfollowshortlyafterthepressingprocesstoavoidfiltrationproblemswhentheoilwasstored
underunfavorablestorageconditions.

ToassuregoodSVOqualitytheGermanDINV51605wasintroducedinEuropein2007.Thisnormis
based on the earlier Quality standard for rapeseed oil as fuel 5 / 2000 from the German Bavarian
StateInstituteofAgriculturalEngineering,Wiehenstephan.Inordertominimizethenegativeeffects
onengines,SVOfromjatrophashouldcomplywiththisDINV51605normforplantoil.Thestandard
isdescribedinsection4.5andshowninfigure13.

4.4.1. Impuritiesintheoil
Thecrudejatrophaoilcontainsmanyimpurities.Thissectiongivesafirstideaofthetypesof
impuritiesandunderlinesthenecessityofcleaningsteps.Theimpuritiespresentinjatrophaoil
consistofbothdissolvedandsuspendedparticlesthatarenotpartofthestructureoftheoil.Solid
particles,FFAsandphosphorneedtoberemovedbeforetheoilisreadytouseinengines.Removal
oftheseimpuritiesisalsorequiredtopreventdeteriorationoftheoilduringstorage.Water(both
freeorintermolecular)will,forexample,hydrolyzetheoilandstimulatetheformationsofFFAs.Pro
oxidantmetalslikecopperandironwillspeedupoxidation.Dustorsolidparticlesthatmighthave
notbeenfilteredfromoilwillnotaffecttheoilitselfbuttheusageoftheoilwillbemoredifficult.It
isthereforeimportanttomonitorfeedstock(moisturelevel&freshness)andoilqualityafter
cleaning.

4.4.2. Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the simplest and cheapest way of cleaning by using the earths gravity: the solids
settle at the bottom of the tank. Sedimentation is only recommended for small processes. For
production rates of < 50 liters/hr sedimentation is a preferred lowcost solution. It requires little
technology and efficiency losses are less important when producing small volumes. It is a cheap
cleaning method because little hardware needs to be purchased only a storage tank large enough
tokeeptheoilforaboutaweekwithlittleornoflow.Ifnecessary,theprocesscanbecompletedin
multiplestagesasshowninFigure9.

Figure9exampleflowdiagramofasedimentation
system[4].
Figure10oildrumsforsedimentation
[pictureDiligentTanzaniaLtd.]

One disadvantage of a sedimentation system is that it depends on optimal conditions to remove

particles with sizes of 8m and less [2]. Therefore a security filter (bag filter or candle filter) is
required.Sedimentationaloneisnotenoughtoproducegoodfuelquality.Additionallytherelatively
highamountofoilthatremainsinthesediment(5055%)islostifnofurtherstepsareincluded.Both
availablealternatives,filtrationandcentrifugation,havehigheroilyield,assumingtheinputproduct
meetsthefiltersrequirements.

4.4.3. Filtration
Thebasicprincipleoffiltrationisblockinganyparticlesbiggerthantheporesizeinamembrane.The
easiest way of filtering is by using a cloth. However, be aware that not every textile has a suitable
pore size! The capacity to absorb particles, referred to as the nominal capacity, differs between
materials.Anominalcapacityof85%foraclothwithporesof,forexample,5mmeansthat85%of
the particles bigger than 5m are stopped by the cloth. Special filtering cloth or bag filters can be
boughtatvarioussuppliers,likeMonopoel,amafiltergrouporlocalsuppliers.Theclothisavailablein
sheets (see figure 11) or as bags, for example. Filtering is easier at lower viscosity of the oil. A
temperature between 4055C would be optimal. Make sure the filter cloth is resistant to these
temperatures.Ifnotthemeshmaywidenanda5mfiltermayonlyfilterupto20m[5].

Filteringmethods
Fivemethodsforfilteringwillbedescribedhere.Themostsimplifiedcustommadesolutionisgravity
filters (bags and band filter) using cloth or filter bags. These require little machinery or electricity
(figure1113).Thesesimplesolutionsarebestsuitedforsmallruralactivities.Inadditiontocustom
madesystems,suppliersofferprofessionalsystems.Theseareoftentooexpensiveforprocesses<50
crude oil
sediment
storage tank
Safety filter
clean oil
storage tank
crude oil
sediment
storage tank
Safety filter
clean oil
storage tank

liter/hr. The following will be explained here: gravity filters, band filters, filter press, pressure leaf
filters,bagfiltersandcandlefilters.
4.4.3.1. Gravityfilters
As explained above the quality and pore size of the filter cloth are important determinants for the
finalresultoffiltration.Usinga1mfilterclothinsimplecustommadedevicesyieldsoilwithquality
comparable to industrial filter systems with the same pore size. Cotton bags are available with
different pore sizes, ranging from 200 m to 1m. It is advisable to finish with a 1m pore size for
fuel production. The disadvantage of simple devices is a very low capacity if the filter is not
pressurized.Forhomeusersandsmallfactories(uptoafewlitersperhour),nonpressurizedfilters
canbeanattractivelowcostoptionastheprocesscanrunwithoutpurchasingspecialhardware.

Handling will in that case consist of frequent cleaning of the filter cloth or bag filter. It is
recommended to leave the oil to settle for 47 days before filtering to avoid even shorter changing
intervals of the filter cloth. Depending on how clean the oil is after sedimentation, filtering oil
throughgravitytakesbetween5minutesto1hourper20liters[11].Thesedimentintheoilshould
be considered a process loss or can be used as input material for the production of biogas in a
digester.

Filter bags can be obtained through for example amafiltergroup or Allfil filtertechniek in the
Netherlands. Suppliers can be found worldwide. One bag is sold for around 3.75 (amafiltergroup,
2008).Locallyavailablecottonmaterialmightalsoprovesuitableaftertesting.

Figure11Lefttop:SVOfiltrationofcookingoilonthesiteofGermansupplierMonopoel.Righttop:
simplefiltrationsetupusingbagfilters[pictureDiligentTanzanialtd.].Leftbottom:improvedsetupfor
bagfilters[pictureDiligentTanzanialtd.].Rightbottom:employeecollectinganoilsampleforanalysis
afterfiltration[pictureDiligentTanzanialtd.]

4.4.3.2. Bandfilter
Theuseof bagfiltersundergravityhasverylowprocessingcapacityandrequiresfrequentcleaning
ofthebags.ThereforeFACTengineeredasolutionataprojectinHonduras.Thebandfilterprototype
in figure 12 was engineered by Ger Groeneveld. It consists of K&C workmans cloth X70 on a roll
construction to create a moving filter cloth. The key factors to performance of the device are: the
entire filter area is used, there is constant removal of sediment without interrupting the filtration
process, and there is constant quality due to use of gravitational force for separation. The moving
clothonthebandfilterhelpstoreducecloggingproblemsandenableseasiercleaning.Thecapacity
ofthismodelis2060liters/hourforafilterclothwith5mporesize[5].

Figure12Topviewofthebandfilterwherethe
crudeoilflowsontothefiltercloth.
[5].

Figure13Bandfilterinoperation. Thetransport
rollers are equipped with sandpaper for better
friction.Theclothiscontinuouslymoving.
[5].
4.4.3.3. Filterpress
Ifusingpressurizedbagfilters,adifferenttypeoffiltrationisneededinadvance.Otherwisethefilter
will clog after several minutes. For that reason the filter press and pressure leaf filter are discussed
herefirst.

Filterpressesarewidelyappliedinthefoodindustryandareoftenlocallyavailableindifferentsizes.
Use of local machinery stimulates employment and enables local engineers to provide both repair
andmaintenance.Localtrainingprogramscouldbeastimulusandmightincreasequalitystandards.

A filter press is build up of multiple filter plates that are sheathed with filter cloth (figure 14 & 15).
The filter cloth material can be used several times before cleaning. When the plates are pushed
togethercavitiesareformedbetweenthem.Beforefiltrationthecrudeoilflowsintothecavities.By
applyinghydraulicpressureontheplatesandpumpingpressureontheoil,theoilisforcedthrough
theclothandthefiltercakeremainsinthecavities.Oilkeepsrunningthroughthefilteruntilthereis
toomuch cakeinthe cavities.Theplatesarethenseparated(eithermanuallyorautomatically)and
the presscake falls off. Manual cake discharge takes about half an hour per day for rapeseed and
dependsonthelevelofimpuritiesintheoil[11].

Howdoesthiscomparetojatrophaoil?Thefollowingkeynumbersapplytorapeseedoil:oilcontent
in the filter cake of about 3550% and 24 kg of filter cake after processing 100 kg of rapeseed. For
jatropha,theamountoffiltercakeafterprocessing100litersofcrudeoilisexpectedtobe1525kg
with an oil content similar to rapeseed. This means that cake discharge will be 510 times as
frequent, which comes down to 2.55 hours per day. This is clearly not practical. Therefore
sedimentationisstillrequiredbeforemostfiltrationmethodsduetothehighamountofsedimentsin
jatrophaoil.

After discharge, the process cycle restarts. The membrane pore diameter is intentionally chosen
largerthanthesizeoftheparticlesthathavetoberemoved.A filterpresshastobeusedforsome
timeinaclosedloopsituationtobuildupalayerofparticles(cake)againstthemembrane.Thisway
thesedimentsintheoilformtheactualfiltermedium.Whetherornotthesedimentlayerisaproper
filtration medium depends on the particle size distribution. In case all particles are of the same size
thelayerwilleasilyclog.

Thecapacityofafilterpressisdirectlyproportionaltothefilterclothareainm
2
andcanthereforebe
easilyadapted.Smallermeshsizesresultinlowerthroughputanditisthereforeuncertainwhatthe
processing speed will be at the desired purity of the output product. Although the filter press is
capableofremovingparticles<0.01mitisadvisedtoinstallabagfiltercandlefilterbehindthefilter
pressforsafetycleaning.Dependingonthesizeoftheplatefiltertheoilcontentinthefiltercakewill
normallybearound10%[11].

Figure 14 Plate filter with capacity of 150

liters/hour.AtDiligentTanzanialtd.Producedby
TEMDOTanzania.
Figure 15 Plate filter for food industry, capacity
around1000liters/hour.

4.4.3.4. Pressureleaffilter
Thepressureleaffilterconsistsofacylindricalfiltervesselfilledwithfilterplates.Similartothefilter
press,thisfilterfirstbuildsupalayerofparticlesinclosedloopoperation.

Crudeoilentersthevesselandcanonlyleavethroughthehollowframesurroundingthefilterplates.
Toenterthehollowframetheoilfirstneedstopassthroughthefilterplatewherethesolidparticles
arethenstopped.Whenthefiltervesselisfullthesystemispressurizedbypumpsto1015bar,after
whichtheoilstartsflowingandthesolidmaterialintheoilformsalayeronthefilterplate.Thisplate
servesastheactualfiltermedium.

Apressureleaffilteriscapableoffilteringparticles>1020m,dependingontheselectedmeshsize.
Iftheamountofsedimentsinthecrudeoilis>10%asedimentationstepisrequiredupstreamofthe
pressureleaffilter.Asaguidelineforthepressingprocess,beforefiltrationanoilcontentinthepress
cakeof>12%isconsideredoptimal.Reductionoftheoilcontentinthepresscaketoforexample8%
by second pressing results in fines in the oil and lower filter capacity (amafiltergroup). After the
pressureleaffilteralmostallparticles>1020willberemovedfromtheoil.Additionalfilteringsteps
willberequiredbeforetheoilcanbeusedasfuel.

Figure 16 drawing of a pressure leaf filter
[pictureamafiltergroup].
Figure17Closeupofoneofthefilterplates.The
framework around the mesh is made of hollow
tubes that serve as a discharge for the clean oil
[pictureamafiltergroup].
4.4.3.5. Bagfilters
Bag filters use the same principle as custommade filters but are pressurized by an electrical fluid
pumptoenablehigherthroughput.Thebagfilterconsistsofafilterhousingwitharemovablebasket
fittedwithafilterbag,similartotheonesusedforgravityfiltration.Figure18showsanimpressionof
thebagfilter.Typicaloperatingpressuresare35bar.

Abagfilterof1m,meansthatparticles>1mareremovedatanominalefficiencyof6598%.This
meansthatthequalityoftheoutputproductfluctuates.Tocoverforthesefluctuationsacandlefilter
is normally added to the process. Bag filters generally have to be cleaned every 14 days. Some
examplesofDutchsuppliersareamafiltergroup,EFCfiltrationandAllfilfiltertechniek.Thepriceofa
bagfilterrangesfrom5001000withoutelectricalpumpsand10001500withpumpsincluded.
Other modulesliketheelectricalpump,hosesandstoragetankscanbe boughtlocally,if desired.A
bag filter is suitable for >50 liter/hr process flows. Attention: sedimentation or prefiltration are
necessarypriortorunningtheoilthroughthebagfilter.Whentryingtofiltercrudeoildirectlyafter
pressing,thebagfilterwillclogwithinminutes.

Figure 18 Stainless steel filter housing unit for a

bag filter (without pump or storage), at Diligent
Tanzanialtd.
Figure 19 Filter housing with filter basket from
www.amafilter.nl. The filter bag is inserted in
thebasketandneedcleaningevery14days.
4.4.3.6. Candlefilters
Candlefiltersareoftenreferredtoaspolishingfiltersastheyperformthefinaltouchinthecleaning
process.Thismeanstheoilalreadyneedstobequitecleanbeforeenteringthefilter.Acandlefilter
of 1m means that particles >1m are removed at a nominal efficiency of 92%. The candle filter is
stable, which guarantees product quality. A single candle can support approximately 60 g of solid
material before it needs changing. When fed with prefiltered rapeseed oil candles need to be
replaced every 68 weeks. If a bag filter is installed in front of the candle filter similar maintenance
intervalsaretobeexpectedforjatrophaoil.

The costs for a candlefilter housing are comparable to the bag filter. Candles cost approx. 75 per
set for a throughput of 200 litre/hr, which is 500650 per year when changed according to the
maintenance interval of 68 weeks. Note that the candles cannot be cleaned like the filter bags. An
increaseinoperatingpressureindicatesthatthecandlesneedreplacing.

Figure 20 Combined setup of a bag and candle

filter form amafiltergroup. [picture Diligent
Tanzanialtd.].
Figure21Candlefilterhousingwithfiltercandles
from www.amafilter.nl. The candles need to be
replacedbynewonesevery68weeks.

4.4.4. Centrifuging
Inadditiontosedimentationthisisthesecondmethodofseparationthatisbasedonspecificgravity.
Thereasonformentioningitonlyattheendofthischapteristhatitisnotsuitedforsmallprojects.

However, it is worth mentioning the working principles of this technology might provide ideas on
howtodeveloplowcostalternatives.
4.4.4.1. Decanter&separator
Using centrifugal force for particle separation is a fast alternative to sedimentation. Both decanters
andseparatorsareindustrialdevicesthatworkaccordingtothisprinciple.Decantersandseparators
usethedifferenceinspecificgravitybetweenmedia.

For solidliquid separation the liquid viscosity and density difference between solids and liquids
determineif theresidencetimein thecentrifugeisenoughtoenableseparation[11]. Solidcontent
andparticlesizeareofsubordinateimportanceasdecantersettingscanbeadjusted.Decantersand
separators are successfully used in almost all industrial separation processes involving food and
beverage.Duetotheirhighpricesandcapacitiestheyhavenotyetbeenappliedinjatropharelated
projects. Although they are perhaps the best separation technology for jatropha oil,
decanters/centrifuges are generally not an option for capacities below 5001000 liter/hr. For such
capacitythepricewillbearound50.000.

Figure 22 Picture of the Z23

decanter with capacity of 500
1000 litre/hr [picture Flottweg
NederlandBV]
Figure 23 Picture of a disc
centrifuge AC100 [picture
FlottwegNederlandBV].
Figure 24 Example of a
centrifugationsystemwithabag
filterasasecurity[12].

4.4.5. Concludingremarksoilcleaning
Oil cleaning is the process step that determines product quality. Although many technological
solutions are available one should always apply the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle when
selectingoneinadevelopmentproject.

Sedimentation is still the most favorable solution for small production volumes (< 50 liters/hr).
Filtration and centrifuging technologies are generally too expensive for most projects involving
farmer groups. Development of simplified versions of such technologies could provide a welcome
solutionintheseprojects.Simplefiltrationconstructionsarethebestcandidatesforafinalcleaning
stepfortheoilthatisskimmedoffaftersedimentation.Properporesizeof1mensuresaSVOfree
ofparticlecontamination.