OIL PROCESSING
Preparation of seeds, Extraction from seeds, Degumming, Bleaching, Deoderization, and Hydrogenation are all the core processes involved in the processing of oil. While the oil processing, natural compounds are changed by the effect of heat and chemical. This causes either the conversion or removal of the nutrients. According to the manufacturers, nutrients are required to be removed for stopping spoilage and enhancing its shelf life.
The basic steps that are involved in the processing of edible oil found in the supermarket are as follows:
Detailed Oil Processing
The preparation of seeds starts with the processes of heating, dehulling, and chopping or grinding, in this sequence only. The processes of chopping or grinding is done to break the walls of the cells and make the oil free for easy penetration of solvents into the cells. For this purpose, rolling or flaking is also used but these processes are not enough to get the desired results. Hence, an extra step of thermal or conditioning is required.
The next step of oil processing is the extraction from seeds. The main objective of this step is to develop a clean crude oil product. The extraction is done by mechanically pressing or by mixing with different gasoline-like solvents like heptane and hexane. As oil is highly flammable, so the process of chemical extraction is not recommended. Oil, which is designated for further refining passes through additional processing procedures. Here the mashing and cooking (up to 2 hours) processes take place. The cooking time completely depends on the type of seeds being used.
After this, the mechanically pressed seeds go through extra heating in the "auger" process. In this process, the average temperature is around 120°C (248°F) and the higher valves of temperatures & pressures produces more oil. However, at the previously mentioned temperature, the oil has additional 100 timer faster reaction rate with oxygen more than 100 times faster, as compared to that at room temperature. There have been some cases, in which the oil acquired after mechanical pressing is filtered and sold as an unrefined oil. But in larger number of cases, the oil further undergoes the refining process. After this, the next steps of oil processing are:
Preparation of seeds, Extraction from seeds, Degumming, Bleaching, Deoderization, and Hydrogenation are all the core processes involved in the processing of oil. While the oil processing, natural compounds are changed by the effect of heat and chemical. This causes either the conversion or removal of the nutrients. According to the manufacturers, nutrients are required to be removed for stopping spoilage and enhancing its shelf life.
The basic steps that are involved in the processing of edible oil found in the supermarket are as follows:
-
The beans are properly cleaned into seed cleaner, before they enter into the de-stoner. The beans are cleaned for removing unwanted impurities & dust.
- Cleaned seeds then enter the De-stoner, where the stones are separated by a vibrating action.
- After de-stoning is completed, the seeds enter the Seed Cracker where these are broken into two or three pieces.
- The cracked seeds are then conditioned in the Conditioner (Cooker) by using steam.
- The conditioned seeds are then flaked in the Flaker machine.
- Finally, the flaked material is forwarded to the Solvent Extraction Plant.
Detailed Oil Processing
The preparation of seeds starts with the processes of heating, dehulling, and chopping or grinding, in this sequence only. The processes of chopping or grinding is done to break the walls of the cells and make the oil free for easy penetration of solvents into the cells. For this purpose, rolling or flaking is also used but these processes are not enough to get the desired results. Hence, an extra step of thermal or conditioning is required.
The next step of oil processing is the extraction from seeds. The main objective of this step is to develop a clean crude oil product. The extraction is done by mechanically pressing or by mixing with different gasoline-like solvents like heptane and hexane. As oil is highly flammable, so the process of chemical extraction is not recommended. Oil, which is designated for further refining passes through additional processing procedures. Here the mashing and cooking (up to 2 hours) processes take place. The cooking time completely depends on the type of seeds being used.
After this, the mechanically pressed seeds go through extra heating in the "auger" process. In this process, the average temperature is around 120°C (248°F) and the higher valves of temperatures & pressures produces more oil. However, at the previously mentioned temperature, the oil has additional 100 timer faster reaction rate with oxygen more than 100 times faster, as compared to that at room temperature. There have been some cases, in which the oil acquired after mechanical pressing is filtered and sold as an unrefined oil. But in larger number of cases, the oil further undergoes the refining process. After this, the next steps of oil processing are:
- Degumming
- Bleaching
- Deoderization
- Hydrogenation
