For refining of edible cottonseed oil, there are three basic processes in the cottonseed oil refining as follows...
Cottonseed oil is a kind of refined oil from the cotton plant seeds. Cottonseeds have similar structures with other oilseeds, such as sunflower, core shell coated with oil (seed). Cottonseed oil is often used in salad oil, salad dressing, mayonnaise, or chips and other snacks because its flavor stability, not disguise plain.Cottonseed oil contains 70% of unsaturated fatty acids, 26% of the saturated fatty acids. Fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil contains 94% of the saturated fatty acid 2% of unsaturated fatty acids. Next Wintone introduces the cottonseed oil refining process to readers detailedly.
For refining of edible cottonseed oil, there are three basic processes in the cottonseed oil refining as follows,
1.Neutralizing
2.Bleaching
3.Dewaxing
4.Deodorizing
First process is neutralising the oil is neutralised to remove free fatty acids (FFA) by a addition of caustic soda. Then oil is heated upto about 60˚c by thermic fluid coils or close loop steam circulation and oil is stirred by stirrer. Then soap stock is formed due to chemical reaction of acid with alkali. The formed soap is allowed to settle at the bottom of the neutraliser from where it is taken out into soap pan otherwise it send to centrifuge separator for spliting it instantly then the process is followed by refining and washing.
Second process is the bleaching process, here neutralised oil is drawn into the second vessel called bleacher where colour of oil is removed by bleaching process with aid of chemicals such as carbon black and bleaching earth. Oil is generaly is heated upto 110˚c by thermic fluid coils or by close loop steam circulation. Stirring is also continued. And this process i.e BLEACHING process is done under vacuum. Bleaching oil then goes to the pressure leaf filter where bleaching earth and chemicals are separated.
After De-gumming, Neutralization, water washing, vacuum drying and bleaching the Dewaxing is done. Dewaxing oil like sunflower, corn and rice bran contain waxes (which are esters of long chain fatty acid and alcohol) in the oil. These waxes impart haziness to the oil at lower temperature. To remove this haziness, the oil is subjected to the de-waxing process. In this process oil is cooled to de-waxing temperature and proper retention time is provided in the crystallizer to form crystals. Filtration of the oil removes the waxes.
Fourth process is the Deodorizing here clean bleached oil is then drawn to deodourizer where oil is heated above 110 ˚c through thermic fluid coils or by steam and then live steam is given to the oil from the bottom steam nozzles and temperature of oil is raised upto 200 to 220˚c through thermic fluid coils. Entire process is done under high vacuum. Thus smell is removed from the oil in the deodouriser. Then it goes to cooler where water circulating coils take away heat and oil is cooled. Again it goes to second polishing filter where completely refined and transparent golden yellow colour oil is obtained.
The above four steps are cottonseed oil plant working process. Any question about oil refining process, please contact us without hesitation, our staff will give you professional opinions for help.
