Banana Peel Soap Analysis

2.10 ASHING OF PLANTAIN PEELS

Olabanji et al. (2012) conducted a research on the topic metal analyses of ash derived alkalis from banana and plantain peels (Musa spp.) in soap making under the auspices of the Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The objective of this work was to determine the metal content of plantain and banana peels ash derived alkali and the possibility of using it as alternate and cheap source of alkali in soap industry. This was done by ashing the peels and dissolving it in de-ionised water to achieve the corresponding hydroxides with pH above 12. The solution was then analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The analytical measurements were carried out in triplicate and

A neat soap, which was milky white in colour, was obtained when the improved ash extract was reacted with the bleached oil blend. This was also the colour of two other soaps made from pure potassium hydroxide and pure sodium hydroxide alkalis, respectively and the same bleached oil blend. It was concluded that solid soap, which was not black, could be made from ash-derived alkali. This is the first reported case of such an attempt at Journal of Applied Sciences & Environmental Management (JASEM).

A neat solid soap which is not black and of almost the same properties as pure potassium hydroxide soap was shown to be derivable from the water extract of ashes of plantain peels. It was recommended that efficient designs in the unit operations of the soap making process, as well as in the saponification reaction stage, to bring about a reasonable substitution of locally derived potassium hydroxide alkali, for imported ones, should be pursued.

2.13 TYPES & CLASSIFICATIONS OF COCONUT

It is agreed in the coconut industry that virgin oil can only be produced from non-copra processed oil. However, not all non-copra coconut oils can be called virgin oil. Virgin coconut oil refers to clear oil extracted from fresh coconut milk by coconut wet-process without refining. Oil is extracted only from fresh high quality coconuts and extraction/purification is through mechanical means only. The result is unrefined coconut oil with very low free-fatty acid content. Virgin coconut oil from this process has very long shelf life, natural coconut aroma and flavour, light viscosity and non-oily character. Virgin oil is a specific type of natural oil. Virgin coconut oil is natural coconut oil but not all natural oils are virgin oil. Virgin coconut oil cannot be produced from copra. Unrefined copra-based coconut oil is not suitable for food and personal care application. Organic certification of coconut oil does not guarantee that the oil is natural and