Palm oil refining process

Degumming: Crude palm oil contains colloid substances such as phospholipids. By adding an appropriate amount of water or degumming agents such as phosphoric acid, the colloid substances are separated from the oil, and then the colloid is removed by centrifugation or filtration. The degumming temperature is generally controlled at 70℃-90℃.

Deacidification: The free fatty acids in crude palm oil are removed by alkali refining. Usually, alkaline solutions such as sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate are added to neutralize the free fatty acids to generate soap, and then the soap and other impurities are removed by centrifugation. The deacidification temperature is between 70℃-95℃, and the reaction time is about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Decolorization: Palm oil contains some natural pigments, such as carotenoids. By adding decolorizers such as activated carbon and white clay, the pigments in the oil are adsorbed, and then the decolorizer and pigment are removed together by filtration. The decolorization temperature is about 80℃-120℃, and the time is about 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Deodorization: Under high temperature and vacuum conditions, odor substances in palm oil, such as volatile fatty acids, aldehydes, ketones, etc., are removed by steam distillation. The deodorization temperature is generally between 180℃-240℃, the vacuum degree is between 200Pa-600Pa, and the time is about 1 hour to 3 hours.

Fractionation

According to different needs, the refined palm oil can be further fractionated to obtain palm oil products with different melting points, such as 24 degrees, 33 degrees, 44 degrees, etc. The main methods of fractionation are dry fractionation and solvent fractionation.

Dry fractionation: In the absence of solvents, by controlling the temperature change, different components in palm oil are crystallized and precipitated at different temperatures, and then the solid fat and liquid oil are separated by filtration or centrifugation to obtain palm oil products with different melting points.

Solvent fractionation: It uses certain organic solvents with different solubility for different components in palm oil. Palm oil is dissolved in the solvent at low temperature, and then the different components are crystallized in the solvent by gradually cooling or heating. Different products are obtained by filtration or centrifugal separation, and finally the solvent is recovered and reused by distillation and other methods.

Packaging and storage

Palm oil products after fractionation are packaged according to their use and market demand. The packaging materials are usually plastic barrels, iron barrels, tank trucks, etc.

Palm oil should be stored in a dry, cool, well-ventilated warehouse, avoiding direct sunlight and high temperature environment to prevent oil oxidation and rancidity. At the same time, care should be taken to prevent moisture and impurities from entering the oil and affecting the quality of the oil.

Website: https://www.oilpresscn.com/

Email: info06@cnoilmachine.com