Seed Oil Refining: Neutralization, Bleaching & Deodorization

Deodorized oil leaving the stripping column at 240°C routes directly through one channel circuit of a SonFlow plate economizer. The counter-current circuit conveys bleached oil at 110°C heading into the deodorizer. Thermal transfer occurs across narrow temperature approaches, boosting feed temperatures up to 200°C while simultaneously cooling product streams, reducing thermal fluid furnace fuel burn by up to 80%.

Conventional shell-and-tube heat exchangers suffer from massive footprints, low overall heat transfer coefficients, and tube-sheet fatigue under thermal cycling. SonFlow All-Welded plate units feature fully welded plate packs with zero elastomer gaskets, rated for temperatures up to 350°C and 40 bar pressure. They occupy 70% less floor space and achieve 3 to 4 times higher heat transfer coefficients, minimizing product residence holdup time.

To hydrate and remove hydratable and non-hydratable phosphatides, crude seed oil preheats to 70°C - 80°C in SonFlow PHEs prior to phosphoric/citric acid conditioning. Dilute caustic soda (NaOH) is dosed to convert free fatty acids into insoluble soapstock. Disc stack centrifuges separate the heavy soap phase. Precise temperature control ensures optimal interfacial viscosity, minimizing neutral oil entrainment losses.

During bleaching, activated bentonite clay is slurried into oil at 105°C - 110°C under vacuum to adsorb chlorophyll and red carotenes. This clay slurry is severely abrasive. DanPumps supplies heavy-duty process pumps featuring thickened wear-resistant casings and Tungsten Carbide mechanical seal faces flushed with clean barrier fluid, preventing particulate intrusion and premature seal failure.