Premium
Chemistry of refining
Author(s) -
Swoboda P. A. T.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/bf02541393
Subject(s) - refining (metallurgy) , refinery , raw material , chemistry , process engineering , oil refinery , pulp and paper industry , fractionation , palm oil , crude oil , process (computing) , biochemical engineering , computer science , chromatography , petroleum engineering , engineering , organic chemistry , food science , operating system
Processing practices are reviewed, discussing the chemistry involved. Refining is a process of purification. Both the individual unit operations and the whole integrated process are considered. Efficiency of the physical and the alkaline refining procedures as practiced in Malaysia are compared. Palm oil is unique in being a fruit flesh oil and not a seed oil. The crude oil is produced at the oil mill by cooking, pressing and clarification. Quality of the crude affects the efficiency of refining and thus the quality of the fully processed product. Moreover, after fractionation problems can arise in refining of crude stearin. Recent research into the nature of the minor and trace constituents of crude palm oil is described. Their partition during fractionation and removal during the purification process of refining are important. Some chemical artifacts that can be formed during processing are discussed. Certain findings of the research laboratory are confirmed by actual commercial operations. Unique product specifications mean that both feedstock quality and refinery operation need to be controlled. Efficient optimization of processing requires a better understanding of the chemistry involved. Alternative purification procedures specifically relevant to palm oil are being investigated in the laboratory.