Oil and Wax Industry

Corn Oil

The production of this type of oil differs significantly from other oils

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Used with water to clean corn, which loosens the hulls from the kernels.

Attrition mills

this is where steeped corn is run through to break the germ away from the rest of the kernel

Salad oil

The resulting corn oil is almost exclusively used as _____, while lower grades are used in soap manufacturing.

First Procedure (at the plantation)

Which procedure for palm oil extraction is this: The fruits are cooked in large steam-pressure digesters with agitators. The oil is then separated using basket centrifuges with live steam from 10 minutes.

Second Procedure (at a processing plant)

Which procedure for palm oil extraction is this: Residual fiber and kernels are dried in a continuous rotary dryer and screened. The separated kernels are bagged and shipped for further oil removal using methods previously described, while the fibers are burned as fuel for the plant's boilers. The palm kernel itself has a high oil content of 40-50%.

Copra

raw material for coconut oil

Linseed Oil

Oil production and refining similar to cottonseed oil

Acid Method

Gums are removed by coagulating with a small amount (0.05%) of concentrated H3PO4

Alkali Refining Method

This method neutralizes free fatty acids with a 0.1% NaOH solution. The mixture is then heated to approximately 75 C to break any emulsions that have formed.

Separation

After either method, centrifugation is used to remove the gums and soaps. Free fatty acids are recovered through acidulation.

Steam Refining

This process combines degumming and, if necessary, bleaching. It involves treating the oil with sparing steam under high vacuum to remove fatty acids by distillation.

Bleaching

The oil is bleached using adsorptive bentonite clays for edible oils. Non-edible oils are bleached using chemical reactions.

Winterizing

This is an additional treatment specifically for oil that will be used as salad oil. It removes materials that would solidify at ref temp. It is accomplished by cooling the bleached oil to approximately 5 C and then filtering out the solidified material.

Hydrogenation

The saturation of unsaturated fatty glycerides, typically done through a catalytic process.

Vanaspati

The main end product of hydrogenation which is a solidified household cooking oil

1. Nickel Formate Decomposition

2. Reduced Nickel on Inert Support

3. Raney or Spongy Nickel Method

What are the three methods described for preparing nickel catalyst used in hydrogenation?

Nickel Formate Decomposition

Hydrated nickel formate is heated to 190 C to produce finely divided catalyst, which is preferred for well-stirred hydrogenation reactors.

Reduced Nickel on Inert Support

Nickel salts are precipitated on an inert porous carrier and are then reduced at a high temperature in a hydrogen atmosphere.

Raney or Spongy Nickel Method

This method uses nickel-aluminum alloy (2Al-Ni) and such alloy is treated with a strong alkali solution, such as NaOH, which leaches out the aluminum, leaving behind a porous, highly reactive nickel catalyst.

• Hydrogen

• Nickel Catalyst Losses

• Steam

• Cooling Water

What are the quantitative requirements for producing one ton of hardened oil from cottonseed oil?

• 3-10 tons capacity Batch Reactors

• 1-3 hour cycle operation

• 2-10 reactors

Plant capacity parameters for hydrogenation?

Iodine Number

What is checked in the monitoring of the hydrogenation batch process to determine when the desired level is achieved?

Diffusion

At higher T, specifically around 180 C, the mass transfer of hydrogen and the diffusion of reactants and products to and from the catalyst become the rate-controlling steps.

Temperature Control

The reactor temperature is kept below 200 C to prevent side reactions like pyrolysis and to avoid the sintering of the porous catalyst, which would reduce its effectiveness.

Freon or helium detectors

These are used for hydrogen leak testing.

Carbon steel

Material used to counter hydrogen embrittlement

Deodorization

This is the final step in processing oils, typically performed after hydrogenation

• Decolorization

• Filtering and Packaging

• Inert atmosphere

• Refrigerated Cooling

• Rapid Chilling

What are the subsequent steps in oil production/extraction process?

Fuller’s earth

used for decolorization

Jacketed Cylinder

Used to achieve rapid chilling

Vegetable Waxes

found as a coating on leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds

Mineral Waxes

include paraffin wax from petroleum and waxes derived from coal, peat, and lignite

Montan wax

Under mineral waxes, it is a bituminous wax, solvent-extracted from bituminous lignite or shale, but can also be obtained from peat or brown coal. It is used in electrical insulation, polishes, and pastes.

Paraffin wax

Under mineral waxes, it is concentrated in lubricating-oil fractions through distillation and separated by chilling and filter pressing.

Candelilla wax

the third most important US wax by tonnage, is obtained by boiling the stems of a plant in a water-sulfuric acid mixture and skimming off the wax that floats on the liquid. An alternative method uses hexane extraction.

Carnauba wax

wax obtained from the carnauba palm; the leaves are cut, dried for three days, and the wax is beaten off. The product is used in floor and furniture polishes, carbon paper, and candles.

Spermaceti

a wax from the head cavity and blubber of the sperm whale. It is important for lubrication, is a solid wax at room temp and is primarily composed of cetyl palmitate. It is translucent, odorless, tasteless, and is chiefly used as a base for ointments.

Synthetic waxes

made from various materials like carbowaxes (high molecular weight polyethylene glycols) and chlorinated paraffin waxes