Mesoporous carbon aerogel membrane for phospholipid removal from Jatropha curcas oil

Mesoporous carbon aerogel was successfully coated on the macroporous alumina tubular support to form the tubular carbon aerogel membrane via a sol gel process. The thickness and average pore size of the carbon aerogel membranes were approximately 10 pm and 10 nm, respectively. As compared to polymeric and ceramic membranes, the tubular carbon aerogel membrane combines the advantages of low cost, high mechanical strength and reuse. For the first time, the tubular carbon aerogel membrane was further used for the phospholipid removal from Jatropha oil provided for the application of biofuels. Furthermore, the decrease in the viscosity, water, carbon residue and phospholipid contents of Jatropha oil results from the successful removal of the gums and phospholipids during the degumming process; the rejection of the phospholipids was recorded to be around 80%. The as-prepared carbon aerogel membrane provides the possibility of the purification of bio-oil, resulting in its application as biofuels. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.