What are the main functions of each section in vegetable oil refining process?

The complete vegetable oil refining process generally has five parts: degumming, deacidification, decolorization, deodorization and dewaxing/fractionation. Like their names, the function of each section in vegetable oil refining process are different. Next, let us to learn more one by one.

1) Degumming section in vegetable oil refining process:

In most crude oil, there are colloidal impurities which influence the use value and storage stability of the product oil. So the process of removing the colloidal impurities in the crude oil is called degumming process. But you need pay attention that different crude oil need different degumming process according to the content of colloidal impurities. Like soybean oil, canola oil, corn germ oil, their colloidal impurities content is high, but palm oil's colloidal impurities content is very low. So it need our engineer design suitable degumming process depend on your crude oil kind.

The process of hydration and degumming

[Related reading: The degumming process of vegetable oil]

2) Deacidification section in vegetable oil refining process:

There are free fatty acid in crude oil, and if acid value is very high, the quality of the final oil will be not very good. So deacidification process is very important section in vegetable oil refining process. Usually, two methods are used in deacidification process: chemical deacidification process and physical deacidification process. It depends on your choice and the acid value of your crude oil. Our engineer will explain to you according to your physical truth, and provide suitable design.

3) Decolorization section in vegetable oil refining process:

Because the national standard has the requirement on product oil color,  the decolorization process becomes necessary. In vegetable oil refining process, the decolorization process is using white clay to absorb pigments from crude oil, so as to make the oil color qualified to the standard. In production process, how many white clay is needed, which should be tested in commissioning by our engineers based on the calculation before.

[Related reading: Decolorization process of edible oil refining technology]

4) Deodorization section in vegetable oil refining process:

Different crude oil with different bad smell, should be removed off, so that the smell of product oil qualified to the standard. In vegetable oil refining process, using steam take the bad smell off in high temperature and vacuum conditions.

The deodorization tower in semi- continuous vegetable oil refining plant

[Related reading: The importance of steam deodorization in edible oil refining process]

5) Dewaxing and fractionation section in vegetable oil refining process:

Some crude oils contain wax, which is a kind of impurities and has bad effect on the taste of product oil. Sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn germ oil need dewaxing process.

And fractionation process is used to separate palm olein and palm sterin. It is similar with dewaxing process, but they are different in configuration. So palm oil fractionation plant is more expensive than sunflower oil dewaxing plant.

After knowing the functions of five sections in vegetable oil refining process, do you want to set up a vegetable oil refining plant? Come to leave us a message, our sales and engineers will provide you some service, such as vegetable oil refining process introduction, plant designing, machines list and final quotation. Don't hesitate!