Edible Oil Refinery Plant - Chemical Refining

  • Engineering world
  • kata
    • kata lucu
    • kata bijak
    • kata mutiara
    • kata cinta
    • kata gokil
  • lucu
    • gambar lucu
    • pantun lucu
    • tebakan lucu
    • kata lucu
    • cerita lucu
  • berita
    • berita unik
    • berita politik
    • berita artis
    • berita aneh
  • kesehatan
    • asam urat
    • kanker
    • jantung
    • hepatitis
    • ginjal
    • asma
    • lambung
  • gambar
    • gambar unik
    • gambar lucu
    • gambar aneh
    • gambar animasi
    • video lucu
  • hoby
    • burung
    • ikan
    • piaraan
  • contoh
    • surat lamaran
    • recount text
    • descriptive text
    • curriculum vitae
    • deskripsi
  • video
    • video lucu
    • video hantu
    • video polisi
    • video totorial
    • video panas
    • video lagu
  • blog
    • SEO
    • template
    • script
    • widget
    • backlink
    • imacros
  • komputer
    • excel
    • macro excel
Home » Chemical Engineering » Chemical Plant » Energy » Learning Curve » Edible Oil Refinery Plant - Chemical Refining

Edible Oil Refinery Plant - Chemical Refining

What is Oil Refinery and Edible Oil Refinery?
When talking about refinery, we need to be able to differentiate and identify an oil refinery from the edible oil refinery. Basically, the oil refinery (or petroleum refinery) is an industrial process plant where crude oil (from crude petroleum) is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas. This is the type of refinery mentioned in the 13 Days: Pythagoras Conspiracy Novel. An edible oil plant in the other hand, is almost similar to the earlier refinery accept it processes edible oil and involves the removal of fatty acid and a few more unwanted impurities. The edible oils are obtained from the likes of palm oil, soya bean oil, canola oil, corn oil, rape seed oil and others. In other words, the oil refinery process oil that cannot be consumed by human being while the edible oil refinery process oil that is edible (can be consumed by human beings).
I have no direct involvement in the oil refinery. However, I was a process engineer in an edible refinery plant before for quite some time. I had a really good taste of experience working in the refinery plant before. I strongly believe that if a chemical engineering student or a new chemical engineer wants to gain experience, he or she should work in a refinery. This is mainly because they will learn and apply all that they have learn in chemical engineering.

Edible Oil Refinery

Edible oil originates from crude oil such as crude palm oil (CPO), crude soya bean oil (CSBO), crude rape seed oil (CRSO), crude coconut oil (CCO) and so on. Edible oils have very high content of free fatty acids (FFA) and needs to be refined before using as cooking oil. However, the refinery process isn't only limited to remove FFA, it also removes the undesired components such as moisture, color and odour which may trigger negative impact on the final taste, odour and appearance of the oil product. The resultant oil is thinner without fatty acids, colorless and odorless.
It is imperative to note that the edible oil refinery can be divided into 2 primary types namely, chemical refining and physical refining. This time, I'll explain about the chemical refining plant.

Chemical Refining Plant

Chemical refining plant involve neutralization of crude oil by removing fatty acids. This is always referred to as chemical refining or sometimes Neutralizing process and its plant referred as Neutralizing Plant (NP). In this process the oil is neutralized in the neutralizer to remove the fatty acids by mixing with caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). Oil is heated up to roughly 60oC by and oil is stirred by stirrer. The fatty acids are settled at the bottom as alkali soaps which is called soapstock from where it is taken out into soap tank .

Typical Neutralizing Plant. Image credited to Oiltek Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian company that manufactures edible oil equipments. Click on the photo to enlarge it.
Removal of impurities and color

Neutralized oil is passed through the second vessel called bleacher where color of oil is removed by bleaching process with the help of chemicals such as carbon black and bleaching clay. Oil is usually heated up to 110oC. Stirring is also carried on. Bleaching process is done under vacuum. Bleached oil then goes to filtration process where bleaching clay and chemicals are removed and cleaned.

Removal of unpleasant smell

Bleached oil is then passed through deodorizer where oil is heated above 110C and then live steam clean is used to the oil from the bottom steam nozzles. The temperature of oil is raised up to 200 to 220C through thermic fluid coils. Entire process is done under high vacuum. Thus smell is removed from the oil in the deodorizer. Then it goes to cooler where cold water circulating coils take away heat and oil is cooled.

Final Filtration

Final filtration is performed after cooling down the oil. This operation is carried out in a micro filter closet or filter bag/filter cartridge which makes the final edible oil termed as refined edible oil. This final filtration process is designed for more effective filtration and best quality of final refined edible oil. There are certain refineries that adopted Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) to completely ensure that the oil is free and safe to be consumed.


This is a typical physical refinery plant. The image is also credited to Oiltek. Click the image to enlarge it.
In the next post, I'll describe more about the Physical Refinery. This is where I gained the most of my hands on chemical engineering experiences. This is where I learned more about important unit operations such as heat exchanger, cooling tower, deodoriser, pack coloumn etc.

Update: As a process engineer or production engineer in a plant (such as this chemical / physical refining plant), you need to know, be prepared and keep stock of all spare parts and engineering equipments (especially during shut downs or turn around). WDS Component Parts has been quite helpful in that area. They supply a vast array of top quality parts, and their website is really cool because it is easy to navigate – which is especially useful when you’re looking for something particularly obscure.


.......................................................................

HIGHLY Recommended GREEN Info Product
"Don't buy solar panels. Instead, Build them - like they did!" Watch the FREE video presentation NOW and discover…
  • Why you should run like hell from $10,000 and $20,000 retail solar panel systems
  • A little known way to slash your electric bill by 80% or more (or even get off the grid entirely)
  • How a “technologically retarded” guy stumbled on a way to generate free energy with homemade solar panels
  • A simple, 5-step process for building your own low-cost solar panels
  • And how to say “goodbye” to the electric company… and “hello” to clean, FREE electricity!
>> Click HERE:- Watch the FREE video presentation NOW!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE Recommended magazines to get you updated with current engineering news

Have you downloaded my free "Choosing Alternative Fuel" Ebook? If not, then please download it here. It's Free and on top of getting the free ebook, you'll get eCourse on Alternative Fuel. It's a good and easy way to add more valuable information to yourself.

Ditulis oleh Bidadari, Kamis, 23 Februari 2012 04.17- Rating: 4.5

Judul : Edible Oil Refinery Plant - Chemical Refining

Deskripsi : What is Oil Refinery and Edible Oil Refinery? When talking about refinery, we need to be able to differentiate and identify an oil refinery ...
keyword :Edible Oil Refinery Plant - Chemical Refining, Chemical Engineering, Chemical Plant, Energy, Learning Curve

Belum ada komentar untuk "Edible Oil Refinery Plant - Chemical Refining"

Posting Komentar

Posting Lebih Baru
Posting Lama
Beranda
Langganan: Posting Komentar (Atom)
Postingan Populer
  • Industrial Tools at their Best
     What exactly are industrial tools? Let me provide my understanding on what industrial tools actually are. Briefly, industrial tools are equ...
  • Xi Jinping , A Chemical Engineer to rule China
    Do you know that the present leader of China is trained as a chemical engineer from Tsinghua University , China? Let's get to know abou...
  • New Year 2013 - New set of Goals
    Time move so fast that 2012 has just left us just like that. 12 days has passed since we entered the new year 2013 and I have not yet wish y...
  • Getting A Hoist
    I need a hoist in the store (warehouse) to lift pallets and other heavy stuffs efficiently. Therefore, I looked and searched for companies s...
  • How to Calculate Your Carbon Footprint
    As a chemical engineer, it is imperative for us to care and know more about environment. It is our responsibility to educate those people ar...
  • Engineering Award
    Would it be nice to be awarded handsomely for our good and brilliant effort? Would it be wonderful to be recognized by our peers and profess...
  • How did thay do that? Great Infographic
    As an engineer, it is imperative for us to have basic and extra knowledge and facts. It is useful for our communication and personal usage a...
  • Understanding Plant Tips
    For you chemical engineers out there who happen to become a production executive or a process engineer (or what ever position it is named af...
  • (tanpa judul)
    My first Heat Exchanger Encounter.... It was in my third working place that i learn and have better comprehension about the heat exchanger. ...
  • Importance of Boiler Chemicals Water Treatment
    Since I have written my experience visiting a boiler manufacturing company recently, I think it is good if I follow up with another article...

Info Engineering world © Edible Oil Refinery Plant - Chemical Refining