Palm Acid Oil
A by-product obtained from the alkaline refining of palm oilPalm acid oil (PAO) is a by-product obtained from the alka-line refining of palm oil. It is used for making laundry soaps and for producing calcium soaps for animal feed formulations. The properties and composition of PAO may differ according to variations in the palm oil feedstock and the alkaline refining process.
PAO is the base material for soap making and biodiesel production. It is also known as a biofuel feedstock derived from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME). PAO is a by-product of the chemical refining of palm oil and consists of FFA (over 50%) and neutral oil, with 2-3% moisture and other impurities. It is very similar to Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD), but its FFA is generally lower. PAO is increasingly used for mixing in biofuel transportation fuel.
The largest waste by-product generated during the production of CPO is palm oil mill effluent (POME). For every ton of CPO produced, 2.9 tons of POME is generated. POME is the result of large quantities of steam and hot water used to clean the fruit and separate the shell and cake from the palm fruit. The water and steam are washed away on the mill floor and directed to waste ponds that gather the POME residue. POME consists of 3 to 5 % of Palm Acid Oil (PAO) and 95 to 97% of water. Once the PAO is processed and extracted from the POME, the PAO residue can be sold as a feedstock for the production of 2nd generation biofuels.