Project Materials

DETERMINATION OF ALKALI CONTENT IN SOME AGRICULTURAL WASTE PRODUCT SUCH AS COCOA POD HUSK, PLANTAIN PEEL AND PALM FRUIT BUNCH

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study.

Lubricating grease is made by dispersing thickeners in natural or synthetic oil. There are several thickening agents available, however the most prevalent is soap-based. Several soap bases, including as sodium, lithium, calcium, and aluminium, are utilised in lubricating grease manufacturing.

Soap is composed of metallic salts of long chain monocarboxylic acids. In general, soap is made via alkaline hydrolysis of fat and oil, which is known as saponification, as shown in equations (1.1) and (1.2).

These soaps impart diverse properties to grease and have varying formulations, structures, and features. Other thickening agents include organoclay, polymer, and silica. All of these soaps are made from synthetic alkalis.

However, there is a possibility of creating lubricating grease from alkalis produced from agricultural waste ashes, such as plantain peel, because local soap manufacture has been accomplished using these alkalis, as reported by Nwoko (1980) and Onyegbado et al. (2002).

According to Adewuji et al. (2008), when combusted, several agricultural wastes of vegetable origin produce a significant potash content. These materials include plantain peels, cassava peels, palm bunches, wood, cocoa pods, banana leaves, maize cobs, wood, sugar beet waste and many more.

When these materials are burned in air, the resulting ashes contain potassium and sodium oxides, which when dissolved in water produce the equivalent hydroxides (equations 1.3 and 1.4). These agricultural wastes are abundant and available locally.