Crude Palm Oil Refinery Plant in Nigeria

Type: Crude oil refining from palm oil
Material: Crude palm oil
Capacity: 1-1500T/D
Country: Nigeria
Major equipment: Magnetic drum, cleaning sieves, sheller, crusher, flaking roll, cooker, softening pot, puffing machine, plate type drier
Application: High efficiency oil refining from crude palm oil with low energy consumption and oil yield

Palm Oil refinery plant refers to a series of refining processes that can remove phospholipids, FFA, pigment, off-flavor and other impurities in the oil Edible oil refinery or vegetable oil refinery is essential to ensure removal of gums, waxes, phosphatides

Palm Oil refinery plant usually includes the following sections: Degumming, Neutralization, Bleaching, Dewaxing and Deodorization. The process of removing these impurities after oil extraction section is called palm oil refining. The crude palm oil obtained either from expellers or solvent extraction plant contains impurities, which must be removed to make the oil edible, more palatable and stable against rancidity upon storage.

Main process of palm oil refinery plant 

Degumming

Purpose: To remove gums (phospholipids) and other impurities from the crude palm oil.
Process: Phosphoric acid or water is added to the heated crude oil under vacuum, which hydrates and separates the gums.
Outcome: Gums precipitate out of the oil and are removed in the subsequent bleaching stage.

Deacidification (Neutralization)

Purpose: To neutralize and remove free fatty acids (FFA), which affect oil quality and stability.
Process: In chemical refining, sodium hydroxide is used to react with FFAs, converting them into soap that is later removed. In physical refining, a steam-based process is used.
Outcome: The FFA content of the oil is significantly reduced.

Bleaching 

Purpose: To remove color pigments and other impurities, improving the oil’s clarity and appearance.
Process: Activated bleaching earth (clay) is added to the oil and heated, adsorbing the color pigments.
Outcome: The oil becomes lighter in color. The bleaching earth is then filtered out.

Deodorization 

Purpose: To eliminate undesirable flavors and odors, making the oil suitable for food products.
Process: The oil is heated under vacuum, and steam is injected to strip away volatile compounds responsible for the odor and taste.
Outcome: The resulting oil is deodorized and has a neutral flavor.

Fractionation (Optional) 

Purpose: To separate palm oil into different liquid and solid fractions based on melting points, allowing for specialized applications.
Process: The refined oil is gradually cooled in a crystallizing vessel. The liquid oil is then filtered to separate the solid palm stearin from the liquid palm olein.
Outcome:High-quality palm olein palm stearin (for industrial uses like soap and candles) are produced.

Main technical parameter