What is Palm Oil Fractionation and the Process?
Palm oil fractionation primarily utilizes the difference in melting points between solid and liquid fats to separate the two states of oil. The palm oil fractionation process includes three stages: heating, crystallization and crystal growth, and filtration. The palm oil fractionation equipment includes crystallization tanks and membrane filters.
Heating Stage:
Before palm oil fractionation, the refined oil needs to be heated to approximately 60°C to turn the oil into a purely liquid state (crystallization). After heating, the oil is pumped into the crystallization tank. Cooling coils are installed inside the crystallization tank. The cooling medium is chilled water and cooling water. First, cooling water is used to indirectly cool the 60°C oil to approximately 30-40°C, and then chilled water (5°C or 7°C) is used for secondary cooling to cool the oil temperature to the required temperature.
Cooling (Crystallization and Crystal Growth Stage):
Crystallization and crystal growth is a crucial step in the palm oil fractionation process and a key operation affecting the filtration effect. The crystallization tank has cooling coils, and by adding cooling water, the palm oil is cooled to the specified temperature, causing the solid fat to precipitate as crystals. The specific crystallization temperature needs to be determined according to the customer’s specific requirements. The crystal growth process is the process of the crystals continuously growing larger. When the palm oil reaches the specified temperature, cooling is stopped. The solid fat continuously precipitates crystals under stirring, and the crystals continuously grow larger. After the crystal growth time is completed, the palm oil can be transported to the filtration stage.
The entire cooling system is a circulating system. Cold water enters the crystallization tank, and hot water enters the cooling tower and refrigeration unit, minimizing energy consumption and saving costs.
Filtration Stage:
The crystallized RBD palm oil is transported to the membrane filter via a filtration pump. The membrane filter consists of filter plates, filter membranes, and spacer plates. The oil slurry gradually enters the space through the filter plates orderly. The liquid fat flows out through the corrugated channels of the rubber membrane via the filter cloth, and then enters the soft fat tank through a closed pipe outside the filter frame, leaving the solid fat behind. Finally, the palm stearin is unloaded from the plates.
The fractionated palm oil olein can be used in edible oils, frying oils, etc., and the stearin can be used in butter, soap, and other chemical products. Through the palm oil fractionation process, the added value of palm oil products can be increased, enabling the efficient utilization of resources and meeting diversified market demands.
Henan Huatai Cereals and Oils Machinery Co., Ltd. has been committed to the production and research and development of grain and oil machinery for 38+ years. It has mature production and manufacturing processes and skilled technical workers for edible oil processing machine, and is committed to providing customers with high-quality, cost-effective cooking oil equipment, mainly includes cooking oil press machine, edible oil extraction machine, vegetable oil refining equipment, complete edible oil production lines, etc. The equipment models are complete and the quality is good. Also, we provide customized services for edible oil mills to help clients solve different product needs. Our edible oil processing machine are sold to more than a dozen countries and are well received by domestic and foreign customers.
All in all, to consult and purchase palm oil processing machine, you can go to Huatai Oil Machinery. Please leave your inquiry information, such as: the type of your oil seed, machine capacity (TPD, how many tons to process per day), processing technology (Pressing, extraction, refining) or full set of production lines, etc. We will contact you ASAP and send you the complete features and specifications of the equipment. Welcome to visit our factory and for latest quotation.
Website: https://palmoilmachine.com/
Email: info06@cnoilmachine.com
