Proposal of variants for the refining of fish oil to obtain an effluent with fertilizing properties

Abstract

The present research work is a proposal to propose variants in the refining of fish oil, where sodium hydroxide is normally used as a neutralizing agent in order to precipitate free fatty acids in the form of soaps or salts formed from the neutralization reaction between the alkaline agent and the fatty acids present in the composition of crude fish oil. These free fatty acids are formed spontaneously in the storage of crude fish oil that accelerates when the oil comes into contact with the humidity of the environment or other aqueous contact. The purpose of this work is also to present favorable initiatives for the environment, in this case instead of obtaining an effluent that is going to be discharged to the public network and finally impacts a body of water, it is proposed to obtain a effluent with fertilizing properties, whose favorable performance for the vegetative development of some crop would be demonstrated with its foliar application for some crop. A complete analysis of micronutrients and macronutrients of the effluent obtained would be recommended, its nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content being relevant. With this variant in the stage of the crude fish oil purification process, which is the refining of the oil, the direct and indirect environmental impacts that are caused in the industrial refining of fish oil would be reduced.