An investigation into the performance and perikinetics of Brassica nigra meal in the treatment of real vegetable oil refinery condensate effluent.

Abstract

In this study, the treatment of vegetable oil refinery plant condensate effluent (VORCE) having high total suspended solids (TSS) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) generated from acid oil unit was focused. The utilization of waste Brassica nigra meal (BNM) as protein flocculant in treating VORCE was explored. The B. nigra meal flocculant (BNMF) exhibited a crystalline nature, with the presence of amino and carboxyl functional groups, rendering it highly efficient (89.69% efficiency) in floc formation. Zeta potential and particle size (-5.6 mV and 240.68 nm, respectively) indicate BNMF's effectiveness in initiating floc formation. The interactive effects of pH, dosage, settling time on COD, and TSS removal were investigated using the Box-Behnken design. At an optimal pH of 6.9 and BNMF dosage of 0.77 g/L, a maximum removal of 85.38% COD and 72.56% TSS was obtained. The perikinetic theory for the coagulation-flocculation followed a second-order rate reaction with high K_c (0.0001 L/mg min), low settling time (37.04 min), and high collision efficiency (2.703 × 10¹⁷), indicating the model's significance in achieving maximum COD and TSS removal. These findings highlight the potential use of BNMF in the treatment of VORCE, leading to circular economy by valorizing waste from mustard oil extraction and zero discharge. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Valorization of waste Brassica nigra meal (BNM) as a potent protein flocculant Optimization for vegetable oil refinery condensate effluent (VORCE) treatment was done. Interactive effects of the process parameters were analyzed using Design expert. Perikinetic theory for VORCE treatment follows second-order reaction rate with high K_c.