The main process of palm oil production
1. Raw material collection and pretreatment Harvesting: Oil palm trees begin to bear fruit 5-6 years after planting, and can be harvested 3-4 times a year. Mature fruit ears are harvested manually or mechanically when they are orange-red, and must be processed within 24 hours to prevent sourness.
Cleaning and sterilization: The fruit ears are washed with a high-pressure water gun to remove mud and sand impurities, and then steamed in a sterilization tank at 130-140℃ for 60-120 minutes to destroy lipase activity, inhibit the formation of free fatty acids, and soften the pulp.
Threshing and crushing: After sterilization, the fruit grains and fruit stems are separated by a rotary thresher, and the pulp and fruit core (including palm kernel) are separated by a crusher.
Palm oil is a versatile ingredient that can be found in products as diverse as shampoo, toothpaste, cakes and coffee creamer. The oil palm tree grows in the humid tropics between 8 and 10 degrees north and south of the equator. Originally found in West Africa, the oil palm is now widely cultivated in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The extraction of palm oil primarily involves a pressing process. The process involves several key stages: sterilization, threshing, cooking, pressing, clarification, filtering and dehydration, which ultimately results in crude palm oil. This method represents the most advanced technology in palm oil extraction, although market conditions may vary from country to country.
2. Pressing to extract crude oil
Pressing: The crushed pulp is squeezed by a screw press or a hydraulic press to obtain a mixture of crude palm oil and fiber residue, and then the crude oil is separated by a centrifuge.
Filtration: The crude oil needs to be filtered to remove solid impurities, and some processes will recycle the kernels for extracting palm kernel oil.
3. Refining treatment
Degumming and deacidification: remove phospholipids and colloids through hydration or acid treatment, and then neutralize free fatty acids with alkali refining to reduce the acid value.
Decolorization and deodorization: activated white clay absorbs pigments, high-temperature steam distillation removes odor substances, and improves oil stability.
4. Fractionation process (optional)
By controlling the cooling crystallization temperature (such as 24-26°C), the refined oil is separated into high melting point hard fat (for industry) and low melting point soft fat (for food), which requires a crystallization tank and a membrane filter.
5. Storage and packaging
The refined oil is stored in stainless steel under ammonia protection and finally filled into bulk or small packaged finished products.
Key equipment and technology
Core equipment: fruit thresher, crusher, screw press, centrifuge, deacidification tower, decolorization tank, crystallization tank, membrane filter, etc.
