Performance of an Argentinian acid-activated bentonite in the bleaching of soybean oil

In this work, a bentonite clay from Mendoza, Argentina was activated with H2SO4 (4 and 8 N) at 90degreesC for 2 and 3.5 hours. Under these conditions several cations were removed from the octahedral sheet (Mg, Al, and Fe) and the DTA-TGA curves of the solids obtained after treatment were modified. Treatment time and acid concentration increased the degree of destruction of the bentonite structure. Activated samples were tested in order to verify their capacity to bleach soybean oil and were compared to a standard commercial bleaching clay. Treated samples are more efficient in bleaching than the standard.