TECHNOLOGICAL AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO THE REGENERATION OF WASTE OILS

<ns0:p>The paper addresses modern technological and innovative approaches to the regeneration of waste vegetable oils generated in food processing and catering establishments.The relevance of the study is driven by the steady growth in volumes of waste oils, the environmental risks associated with their improper disposal, and the need for effective preparation of this secondary raw material for subsequent energy use. Waste vegetable oils are characterized by elevated acid value, moisture content, and the presence of thermal oxidation products, which significantly limit their direct application in bioenergy technologies.The aim of the study is a comprehensive analysis and comparative assessment of traditional and innovative methods for the regeneration of waste vegetable oils with regard to reducing acid value, moisture content, and mechanical impurities, and minimizing losses of the valuable oil fraction.The research methodology includes physicochemical analysis methods, comparative synthesis of scientific literature, graphical and analytical techniques, and statistical data processing. The study analyzes mechanical, adsorption, neutralization, and combined purification technologies, as well as innovative approaches involving natural and modified adsorbents. It has been established that mechanical methods provide only partial impurity removal and do not significantly affect the acid value. Adsorption methods reduce acid value by approximately 50–55 percent but are accompanied by increased oil losses.The highest efficiency is achieved with combined purification schemes that integrate several sequential treatment stages. These schemes ensure a reduction of the acid value to 1.5–2.0 milligrams of potassium hydroxide per gram and a decrease in moisture content to 0.05–0.1 percent under moderate technological complexity.The practical value of the research lies in the potential to use the results to justify the selection of optimal regeneration schemes for waste vegetable oils prior to their application in bioenergy and resource-saving technologies.Received 09.11.2025Accepted 11.01.2026</ns0:p>