Edible Oil Refining Plant

Edible oil is an important primary food and requires highest degree of product quality. The final product quality depends on the refining method and the nature of the raw oil. Fenix^TM offers a wide range of solutions designed to boost value in this respect.

The crude oils are de-gummed and the free fatty acids are then removed by distillation in one stage during deodorizing. (Some oils like cottonseed oil or fish oil are not suitable for physical refining.)

The oil discharged from expeller presses has certain solid content or gum, the level varying on the oil seed, which must be removed. For easier separation, the solids are wetted with hot water and separated along with hydrated phosphatides in the decanter/clarifier. The solids are returned to the press for recovery of adhering oil. The clarified oil is then either refined directly or dried under vacuum for storage or consumption.

Fenix CentriMix^TM Degumming, Neutralising, Dewaxing, Washing : Raw oil is pumped by gentle-action to a heat exchanger. Hot water equivalent to the amount of phosphatides is added to the oil and mixed intensively. A special mixer is used for this purpose. The hydratable phosphatides swell immediately and are are separated out. Depending on need, Water de-gumming, Acid de-gumming and Special de-gumming method/s are employed. The next steps are Acid conditioning, Neutralising and Dewaxing (Sunflower, Corn and such other oils).

Fenix FlexiBleach^TM Bleaching : Removal of color pigments, oxidized components and residual gums via absorption in clay are followed by filtration of the spent earth. We offer various designs of bleaching process: dry bleaching with mechanical agitation, steam bleaching using steam agitation as well as continuous counter current pre filtration bleaching.

Fenix Eco²Flex^TM Deodorization for Deacidification / FFA Removal : The final step in refining is the innovative Eco²Flex  Deodorisation. Its efficient scrubbing system minimises fatty matter carry over and water pollution. Efficient plug flow Hivac Heat Exchangers enhances economy. It is flexibile to process oils containing high FFA by physical refining and gives vary high stripping efficiency due to the use of cross flow column. Control for optimizing tocopherol and minimizing trans acid generation is built-in. The mechanical free end prevents thermal fatigues in heating/cooling tubes. The efficient design ensures 100% draining and cleaning. It is a new, fully integrated and compact deodorising system including the concept of steam injection in which deaeration, heat exchanging, heating/stripping, cooling and scrubbing take place in a controlled environment.

The process is the result of a continuous effort based on the experience of more than 300 deodorising plants.

We also carry out Dry Fractionation, Hydrogenation, Inter-esterification, Lecithin recovery and Soap stock splitting.

Our extensive knowledge of equipment and process design enables us to do thorough audit of any plant for process improvement.