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Vegetable Oil Refining Plants
Detailed Introduction
Manufacturing Process
Highlights
 
Mecpro has conducted research for years to come up with new technologies that improve the efficiency and reduce the operating cost of your refinery. Besides, these methods also are environment friendly and require lower operator intervention. Of the several inventions of Mecpro, the most important ones are described here.

a. Enzymatic Degumming
b. Simultaneous Degumming
c. Twin Bleaching
d. Gravitational Dewaxing and Winterization

e.

Efficient Deacidification and Deodorization


Enzymatic Degumming

The conventional system of bleaching used in the country cannot reduce the phosphorus level below 20 ppm and the wash water step is compulsory in the process.  There is thus a higher loss of oil in conventional degumming.  In enzymatic degumming the phosphorus level can be brought down to below 5 ppm and the oil loss is less.  The gums that are coming out from the plant are converted into high value lecithin.  The process is much simpler compared to any other method used for degumming.  It is specially recommended for refining crude rice bran oil.

Mecpro is a licensee of this process that has been developed by the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad.  Mecpro has been the first company to commercialize the technology.

Mecpro offers

• Lower oil loss
• Phosphorus level below 5 ppm
• High quality lecithin
• Lower water loss
• No effluent


Simultaneous Degumming

It is only applicable for high wax content oils like rice bran oil to perform combined Dewaxing and degumming that reduces the phosphorus level below 5 ppm and the wax will be less than 0.3%.  In such plants further implementation of wax and gums separation will be highly economical provided the higher capital investment is acceptable.

Mecpro is a licensee of this process that has been developed by the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Trivandrum.  Mecpro has been the first company to commercialize the technology.

Mecpro offers

• Less oil loss
• Dewaxing load will be drastically reduced
• Phosphorus level below 5 ppm
• Low cost reagent for separation of gums


Twin Bleaching

This is a new innovation which reduces the bleaching earth consumption by 30% using spent earth to remove the inactivating material in a closed circuit.  There are two types of bleaching – batch bleaching and cocurrent bleaching.  Such bleaching processes have high bleaching earth consumption due to inactivated bleaching earth with volatile material entering into the system.

In the newly developed twin bleaching system (counter current bleaching) the volatile material will be inactivated by spent bleaching earth in a closed loop circuit.  So the bleaching earth consumption reduces by at least 20% in the process.  It finds better Dewaxing efficiency.

Mecpro offers

• Minimum 20% reduction in bleaching earth consumption
• Silica treatment is possible
• Better oil quality
• Less filter cloth consumption
• Less oil loss
• Less spent earth disposal


Gravitational Dewaxing and Winterization

The newly developed process design for gravitational Dewaxing and winterization ensures less filter area and lower cloud point.  The system will be able to achieve below 5o C cloud point.  Further efforts are on to bring this down to 0o C.

Mecpro offers

• Cloud point below 5o C
• Non lubricating bushes used
• Less power consumed
• Less filtration area required


Efficient Deacidification and Deodorization

The process is based on the basic principles of distillation as given by

Dalton’s Law: The total pressure of a mixture of gases or vapours is the sum of the partial pressure of each of the gases or vapours in the mixture.

Raoult’ Law: In a solution, the vapour pressure of each component is proportional to its molar concentration. The newly developed deodorizer with bubble cap, structural packing and thin film trays along with the oil in circulation through magnetic seal less pumps ensures the good quality of the oil produced.

Mecpro offers

• All the maintenance of the heating and economization coils are easy
• 75% of the heat energy is recovered for reuse
• Lower steam consumption
• Seal less magnetic pumps ensure no air intake
• Scrubber system eliminates fatty acid escape to the water
• Less neutral oil loss
• Lower temperature process
• Less trans fatty acid development
• Lower retention time for evaporated material
• Steady and gradual rise of temperature
• Less stripping steam
• Single booster in running
• Shell and tube preheating system under vacuum
• Efficient sparging method through structural packing
• Easier maintenance
• Can handle higher FFA oil

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