Vegetable Oil Refining

Dr. Noaman Ul-Haq

 Vegetable Oil Production
• Following steps are required to produce
Vegetable Oil
1. Preparation
2. Cooking
3. Pressing
4. Filtering
5. Extraction
6. Refining
 1. Preparation
• The appropriate preparation of the raw material is one
of the most important steps in the process of obtaining
oil. It consists of one or more of the following:
a. Drying
b. Cleaning
c. Grading
d. Dehulling
e. Grinding
f. Lamination
g. Thermal conditioning
 a. Drying
• The raw material, soon after harvest, should
have its moisture content reduced, so that
storage does not change the quality of the oil.
 b. Cleaning Strainer
• The strainer is the
system that filter off
impurities from the
fluid by the element.

Easy to replace strainers, designated to the separation of the bigger

and smaller materials than the seed in process. With magnetic
plate in the product entry in order to protected the equipments
from metallic objects.
 c. Grading
• Moisture conditioned seeds are weighted and
screened.
• The multi‐grade combination screener are used to
sieve the moisture conditioned seeds.
• According to particle sizes, make the material
grade into 4 to 6 level.
• The referred multi‐grade combination screener is
that mesh number of its screen nets increase from
top to bottom ordinally.
 d. Dehulling
• Dehulling is the process of removing the hulls
(or chaff, or outer coverings, or husk) from
beans and other seeds. This is sometimes done
using a machine known as a huller.
 Types of Dehulling
• There are three different types of dehulling systems that can
be used to process soybeans:
– Hot Dehulling:
• is the system offered in areas where beans are processed directly from the
field.
– Warm Dehulling:
• is often used by processors who import their seeds.
– Cold Dehulling:
• is offered to plants that have existing drying and conditioning equipment,
but need to add dehulling equipment to produce high protein meal.
• The different dehulling temperature options are for different
types of production, beans and preparation equipment.
 e. Grinding
• After dehulling, the wet seeds are coarsely ground to a
particle size below 700 microns preferably 300‐500
microns in the presence of a water alcohol mixture.
• The alcohol added to the water in the oil extraction process
is preferably ethanol but any lower aliphatic alcohol such as
methanol, propanol, or butanol may be used.
• The alcohol content is from 10 to 40% by weight of total
added water including the added water absorbed into the
dehulled seeds. A preferred water/alcohol mix is 70/30.
• The alcohol may be added to the dehulled seeds prior to the
addition of more water.
 f. Lamination
• Laminators are used for making multiple
layers of dough (laminations) for cutting
process.
• These can be either made in Vertical or
Horizontal Configurations as per requirements.
 g. Thermal conditioning
• The thermal conditioning acts directly on the
quality of extraction media, including when to
seek a maximum rate of depletion.
• Before submitting it to pressing, the crushed
seed is heated and may even suffer a moist
cooking atmosphere, followed by a drying more
or less prolonged pressure before.
• Heating has the advantage of facilitating the
extraction of oil.
 2. Cooking
• In addition to grinding and lamination, a rupture through the
humid heat is needed, using direct or indirect steam. The effects
of this warming are:
– It reduces the viscosity of the oil and its surface tension;
– It promotes clotting and partial denaturing of the protein based
substances;
– Deactivation of lypolic enzyme;
– It increases the permeability of cell membranes;
– It reduces the oil affinity with the solid particles of the seed.
• The temperature of cooking varies depending on the seed being
processed. Before being sent to the continuous press process, the
cooked material should be dried.
 3. Pressing
• Hydraulic Pressing
• Continuous Pressing
• Hydraulic Pressing:
• The discontinuous press, called hydraulic press, is
composed of a basket of compression containing
openings defined accordingly to the seed to be processed.
• Continuous Pressing:
• The continuous press is basically made up of a basket of
steel bars with openings defined according to the seed to
be processed.
• In general we have two types of continuous presses:
– those that operate as "final pressing" and
– those that partially withdraw the oil (known as pre ‐presses)
• preparing the raw material for the later extraction with
the use of a solvent.
 4. Filtering
• Filtration of oil is a part of the many procedures
involved in the field of oil processing. This stage is
preceded by the processes of Cleaning, and Settling.
• Filtration of oil is done to remove various
contaminants (particulates, water, gases, acids, etc.)
from it.
• Various equipment that are used in the oil filtration
include Filter Presses, Vertical Pressure Leaf Filters,
Horizontal Pressure Leaf Filters, and many others.
 5. Extraction
• The extraction of vegetable oils may be by
– mechanical process (by discontinuous or
continuous pressing),
– chemical (with the use of solvents),
– steam distillation (for essential oils), and
– other (example: supercritical extraction).
 Mechanical extraction
• The mechanical extraction can happen by
hydraulic pressing for continuous pressing.
• The hydraulic pressing is usually done by
weight; it is generally used for the extraction of
olive oil.
• The continuous pressing is made through a
helical axle, endless thread type. This is the
process used for the extraction of sesame oil,
peanut, castor bean and other oilseeds.
 Chemical extraction
• The chemical extraction of vegetable oils uses
a mixture of hydrocarbons called "hexane"
(fraction of oil) with boiling point around the
700oC that passes through the raw material
properly prepared.
 Steam Distillation
• The process of extraction is simple: the raw material is
placed in a distiller, made of stainless steel. Inside the
distiller there is a heater where the water is heated to form
steam.
• The raw material is placed above that heater, so that the
steam passes equally and drags the essential oil.
• Then, the steam, like the essential oil, passes through the
condenser, where cooling and condensing of the vapor
happens, resulting in two immiscible liquids: water and
essential oil, which are placed in vessels for further
separation.
 Supercritical Extraction
• Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) is the process of
separating one component (the extractant) from another (the
matrix) using supercritical fluids as the extracting solvent.
• SFE can be used as a sample preparation step for analytical
purposes, or on a larger scale to either strip unwanted
material from a product (e.g. decaffeination) or collect a
desired product (e.g. essential oils).
• Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most used supercritical fluid,
sometimes modified by co-solvents such as ethanol or
methanol.
 6. Refining
• The refining of vegetable oils is to improve the appearance, smell,
taste, etc. ... through one or more steps.
• Stages of refining are to be applied depending on the quality of crude
oil available, in addition to the end application of the oil.
• The process of refining is the removal of several components such as:
– colloidal substances, proteins, phosphatides and products of its composition;
– free fatty acids and salts, oxidized fatty acids, lactones, and acetyl polymer;
– pigments such as chlorophyll, xanthophylls, carotenoids;
– volatile substances such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and
esters of low molecular weight;
– inorganic substances such as calcium salts and other metals, silicates,
phosphates and others;
– humidity.
Steps Involve in refining of Vegetable Oil

1. Degumming
2. Neutralization
3. Wash
4. Drying
5. Whitening
6. Winterization
7. Deodorization
 1. Degumming
• The treatment with phosphoric acid is the first step in refining
and is particularly important for soybean oil.
• It may also be used in other types of oils such as cotton, maize
and others, including palmitics, where it is not essential, but
considerably improves the final product and reduces the loss of
refining by emulsion.
• The pre-degummed soybean oil with water, should be treated
with phosphoric acid before neutralization, for removal of non-
hydratable phosphatides, which when heated to high
temperatures (temperatures of deodorization) can come in
reaction to metals and products or mined, affecting the quality
end of the oil.
 2. Neutralization
• This process is to lower the acidity of the oil by
eliminating free fatty acids of oil (FFA = Fat Free
Acid), through the addition of alkaline solution
(caustic soda and water), resulting from chemical
reactions of saponification of such acids.
• After the acidity of the oil is determined, it is
define the quantity and concentration of bleach
(mix of caustic soda and water) and amount to be
used in the oil.
 2. Neutralization
• • The bleach is prepared in tanks, where it is pumped into
the service tank, which supplies the blender through the
metering pump.
• • In the vertical mixing, one selects the intensity with
which they want to mix the oil and bleach and then it
follows to the heat changer, where a rapidly heat is
produced through indirect steam, giving conditions for the
formation of soap flakes obtained in the neutralization that
removes by absorption part of dyes, or after phosphatides
and impurities to be withdrawn along with the sludge.
 2. Neutralization
• The flakes of soap (sludge) are taken from the oil using
the centrifugal neutralization (or by decanting in units of
small size).
• The sludge (Soap-Stock) after separation of the oil goes
to the sludge tank, which can be used in the soap factory.
• The oil goes out of the centrifuge of the first
neutralization and goes for the first wash tank. If the oil
requires a second neutralization it goes to the second
neutralization tank and a second wash where the desired
values are achieved.
 3. Wash
• After neutralization, the oil presents soap remains,
which must be removed by washing with hot water.
• The neutral oil at the first wash tank gets hot water,
which is mixed using a recirculation pump and a part
is diverted to the first wash centrifuge, which
separates water from the oil, processing up so the first
wash.
• The oil follows from the first centrifuge to the second
washing tank and the water goes to the decantation
tank and later for treatment of effluents.
 4. Drying
• The drying of the oil is to reduce the percentage of water to its
lowest level for a good performance in the continuation of the
process of refining.
• The soybean oil after this step, is ready to follow the
deodorization, in case of whitening is not needed.
• The washed oil is heated, and drawn by vacuum to the dryer,
where the water evaporates, thereby reducing the moisture to less
than 0.1% percentage, which is necessary to carry out the
deodorization of the soybean oil or the whitening of the other
needed oils.
• The dried oil is extracted from the dryer in a vacuum through the
oil pump and transferred to the tank of the same name.
 5. Whitening
• The whitening is the process by which pigments from oil
products are removed, specially red and yellow pigments,
other colors such as blue are also affected, but with less
intensity, as well as traces of metals, vitamins, oxidation
and so, in which the vacuum and temperature also
participate.
• Bleaching Earth for these purposes must be selected to
achieve the desired degree of coloring.
• There are natural Bleaching Earth, with small and limited
absorption capacity, and enabled Bleaching Earth, like the
Filtrol or Tonsil with high capacity for absorption.
 5. Whitening
• For the choice of suitable Bleaching Earth there must be
taken into consideration the type of oil to be treated, the
pigments to be removed, the price of Bleaching Earth, the
amount needed per tons and the quantity of oil wasted.
• The neutralized and dried oil is transferred to the
homogenizer by the centrifugal pump, which receives
addition of enabled Bleaching Earth from the Bleaching
Earth deposit.
• In the mixer, the mixture is shaken to get into an intimate
contact between oil and Bleaching Earth and sucked to the
whitener.
 5. Whitening
• In the whitener, the mixture is decarbonated and
dehumidified and kept stirring at a temperature
controlled by a pre determined time depending on
the type of Bleaching Earth and vacuum under the
system of the steam ejectors or vacuum pump.
• The mixture is transferred by the whitening oil pump
to the cooler and filtered through the whitening
filters. The filtered whitening oil is stored in the oil
tank for later winterization and/or deodorization.
 5. Whitening
• When the filter capacity is saturated, the
product is diverted to another clean filter. The
oil contained in the filter tank is drained to the
collector tank and part of the oil in the
Bleaching Earth is drawn with steam to the
same tank.
• The exhausted Bleaching Earth is carried by
the carrier to be discharged.
 6. Winterization
• The winterization is the process by which waxes and
crystallizable stearin contained in oil are withdrawn.
• It consists of cool the oil at a certain temperature, during a
time that can vary from 12 to 24 hours, to crystallize with or
without help of and crystallization accelerator, depending on
the type of oil to be treated.
• This process is usually indicated for cotton oil, corn, rice and
sunflower, it may be performed before or after deodorization.
• The winterization before deodorization avoids any division of
waxes due to the high temperatures that can be achieved in
the deodorization.
 6. Winterization
• The whitening oil is transferred by pump to the heat
changer, heating the already wintered oil and cooling the oil
to be wintered.
• The partially cooled oil goes to the cold and pressurized
tanks to complete the cooling, and to settle for time
necessary for its final crystallization.
• After the crystals are formed, the oil from the pressurized
tank is transferred through the retention filters to the
already wintered oil tank, with maximum care to avoid
turbulence and destruction of crystals. In the wintered oil
tank the oil can be transferred to the deodorizer by a pump.
 7. Deodorization
• The process of deodorization consists in refine vegetable
oils, using only heating, direct steam and high vacuum to
remove the free fatty acids and odoriferous substances. This
process can be discontinuous (small daily production) or
continuous (large daily production).
• The fumes and gases from the deodorizer circulate through
the drop collector before reaching the fatty acids condenser.
• This circulation allows the precipitation of any neutral oil
drops in the drop collector tank. The fatty acids driven by
direct steam in the deodorizers are recovered in a direct
contact condenser.
 7. Deodorization
• This condenser works with the recirculation of their own
cold fatty acids obtained in the system of recovery, with
temperature controlled at the heat changer.
• The lifetime of the water from the cooling tower highly
depends on the caption of distillates before reaching the
barometric condenser.
• The system of deacidification / deodorization operates at
high vacuum (absolute pressure of 2 to 4 mm / Hg)
obtained by the system of steam ejectors of various stages
making this an important step to ensure the high quality of
the final deodorized product.
 7. Deodorization
• Barometric tanks assist in the withdrawal of products
from the deodorizer and of fatty acid excess of the
condenser, without hollowing the vacuum in the
system.
• The addition of citric acid to be oil to be deodorized
has multiple functions, such as, capture dissolved
metals, eliminate soaps, reduce peroxides, etc. ...
• The product being deacidified and deodorized is
heated in heat exchangers, using the heat of the
product already deodorized.
 7. Deodorization
• The product is purified in the purifier unit during the heating
between heat exchangers.
• The purified product is heated to a temperature of
deodorization /de-acidification in deodorizers through fluid
heat. Our continuous deodorizers are formed by several
horizontal cylindrical vessels interposed (the number of
placements and diameter varies according to capacity) where the
heated product keeps its heat in a vacuum and with direct steam
injection, uniformly distributed, which provides a homogeneous
bubbling without great turbulence, promoting a calm
evaporation of fatty acids with a minimum of neutral drag oil.
 7. Deodorization
• Also, at this stage the deodorization is processed
which is the evaporation of substances responsible for
the undesirable smell and taste in oil.
• The deodorized product leaves the deodorizer, goes to
the collector tank that serves as the flow manager, and
then it is cooled in the exchangers, where it exchanges
heat the product to be deodorized. The addition of
antioxidant and the saturation of the deodorized oil
with nitrogen are to prevent oxidation and ensure the
quality of the final product a little longer.