Edible Oil Dewaxing Equipment: In-Depth Study Of Its Composition And Principle

First, edible oil dewaxing equipment overview.

Edible oil dewaxing equipment plays a vital role in the process of edible oil refining. Its main function is to remove the wax components in edible oil and improve the quality and stability of edible oil.

The wax in edible oil will affect the transparency, taste, digestion and absorption rate of oil, and reduce the edible quality and nutritional value of edible oil.

By dewaxing treatment, edible oil can maintain good fluidity in low temperature environment to avoid turbidity and solidification phenomenon.

Dewaxing is an indispensable step in the refining of edible oil.

Only after dewaxing treatment, edible oil can reach higher quality standards, such as first and second class oil standards.

Different kinds of edible oil, such as sunflower oil, rice bran oil, corn oil, etc., have different wax content, and the demand for dewaxing equipment and process requirements are also different.

To sum up, edible oil dewaxing equipment has an irreplaceable important position for improving the quality and value of edible oil.

Second, the working principle of dewaxing equipment

(1) Principle of low temperature crystallization

The wax component in edible oil has a high melting point, and at low temperature, the solubility of the wax decreases, so it begins to precipitate and form crystallization.

In general, when the cooking oil is slowly cooled to 5-10 ° C, and kept for at least 6 hours, the wax will gradually crystallize.

Temperature has a key effect on this process, too low temperature will lead to the increase of the viscosity of the oil, which is not conducive to the crystallization of the wax and subsequent treatment.

Too high temperature will cause insufficient wax precipitation.

For example, edible oils with higher wax content, such as sunflower oil and rice bran oil, have stricter control requirements on cooling temperature and time.

(2) oil and wax separation mechanism

The effective separation of edible oil and crystalline wax mainly depends on filtration and centrifugation.

The filtration method uses the pores of the filter so that the liquid cooking oil can pass through, and the crystalline wax is blocked on the filter, so as to achieve separation.

The centrifugal rule is through the centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation, so that the dense crystalline wax precipitates to the outside of the container, while the less dense cooking oil remains in the center, to achieve the purpose of separation.

In actual operation, according to the different types of edible oil and wax content, choose the appropriate separation method.

For example, for corn oil with a higher waxy content, a combination of filtration and centrifugation may be required to improve the separation effect.

At the same time, in order to promote crystallization and filtration, filter AIDS are sometimes added to the crystallizer, and the dosage is generally about 0.2%-1%.

Three, the main components of dewaxing equipment

(1) Crystallization device

The crystallizing device usually includes a crystallizing tank.

The crystallization tank is provided with a spiral oil pipe, which is used to increase the contact area between the cooking oil and the cooling medium and accelerate the crystallization process of the wax.

The top of the crystallization tank is provided with an oil inlet for pouring the edible oil to be dewaxed.

The wall of the tank is also provided with a water inlet and an outlet for passing the cooling medium to control the crystallization temperature.

The structure design of the crystallization tank can provide a stable low temperature environment to promote the full crystallization of wax.

(2) Cooling device

Common types of cooling devices are chiller and chiller.

The chiller compresses, condenses, throttles and evaporates the refrigerant through the principle of compression refrigeration to achieve heat exchange and reduce the oil temperature.

The chiller uses the fan to force air flow to accelerate the heat dissipation of the cooling medium.

In the process of dewaxing, the role of cooling device is very important, which can quickly reduce the temperature of cooking oil and create suitable conditions for wax crystallization.

(3) filtration device

The filter device mainly includes plate and frame filter and centrifugal filter.

Plate and frame filter through the combination of multi-layer filter plate and filter frame, using the pores of the filter cloth to intercept the wax particles, to achieve oil wax separation.

The centrifugal filter relies on the centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation, so that the wax precipitates on the inner wall of the drum, and the cooking oil is thrown out.

In order to ensure the filtering effect, the filter device needs to clean and replace the filter screen regularly, and control the pressure and temperature parameters during filtration.

(4) Mixing device

The stirring device is usually composed of a stirrer, a motor and a transmission mechanism.

Agitators have a variety of structures, common paddle type and turbine type.

The stirrer rotates under the drive of the motor, and plays the role of evenly mixing the edible oil and filter aid, preventing the local temperature from being too high or too low, thereby improving the uniformity and stability of the wax crystallization, which has an important influence on the dewaxing effect.

4. Operation process and precautions of dewaxing equipment

(1) Operation procedures

The operation process of edible oil dewaxing equipment is as follows:

1. Prepare the oil to be dewaxed: Ensure that the quality of the oil to be dewaxed meets the requirements and remove impurities.

2. Heating: the oil temperature is heated to the appropriate temperature, so that the precipitated wax is completely dissolved in the oil.

3. Heat exchange: The heated oil is exchanged with the dewaxed oil through the plate heat exchanger to reduce the oil temperature.

4. Cooling: the cooled oil is further cooled in the crystallization tank, and the wax molecules are properly stirred to evenly cool the crystallization.

5. Crystal growth: After the waxy edible oil is cooled to the specified temperature, stop stirring, so that the uncrystallized wax continues to precipitate and the grain grows.

6. Filtration: The crystalline waxy oil is filtered by artesian filtration or pumped into the filter to separate the wax.

7. Heat exchange: The filtered oil is pumped into the plate heat exchanger for heat exchange with the unwaxed oil, and finally the finished oil is obtained.

(2) Temperature control points

Temperature control is crucial in the dewaxing process:

4.2.1 Heating link: the temperature can not be too high, so as not to destroy the quality of oil; At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the wax is completely dissolved, and it is generally heated to 30-40 ℃.

4.2.2 Cooling link: the speed should be moderate, too fast will break the crystalline particles, too slow will affect the efficiency. Usually the oil temperature is slowly cooled to 5-10 ° C.

4.2.3 Crystal growth link: Keep the temperature stable to promote the continued precipitation and grain growth of uncrystallized wax.

4.2.4 Heat exchange link: Control the oil temperature well to avoid excessive temperature fluctuations affecting the quality of finished oil.

(3) Equipment maintenance matters

To ensure the normal operation and service life of the device, pay attention to the following equipment maintenance points:

1. Periodic check: Check the running status of the device, whether pipe connections are normal, and whether components are worn or damaged.

2. Cleaning and maintenance: regularly clean the residual grease and impurities inside the equipment to keep the equipment clean.

3. Parts replacement: Replace worn filters and gaskets in time to ensure device performance.

4. Lubrication maintenance: Regular lubrication of transmission components to reduce wear.

5. Safety check: Check whether the safety protection device of the equipment is in good condition to ensure the safety of the operator.

V. Summary and outlook

Edible oil dewaxing equipment is very important to improve the quality and stability of edible oil.

It can effectively remove the waxy components in cooking oil, improve the transparency, taste and digestibility of cooking oil, and make it more in line with consumers' demand for high-quality cooking oil.

Looking forward to the future, edible oil dewaxing equipment will develop in the direction of more efficient, intelligent, environmental protection and energy saving.

In terms of technology, it is expected that more advanced crystallization, separation and filtration technologies will appear to further improve the efficiency and effect of dewaxing, while reducing the loss of oil.

The intelligent control system will be more widely used, which can monitor and adjust the operating parameters of the equipment in real time, and improve the stability and controllability of production.

Environmental protection and energy saving will also become the focus of future development. The new equipment may use more environmentally friendly cooling media and filter AIDS to reduce the environmental impact.

At the same time, by optimizing the structure and operation mode of the equipment, the energy consumption is reduced and the energy utilization efficiency is improved.

In addition, with the continuous improvement of people's requirements for the quality and safety of edible oil, the quality standards and testing methods of edible oil dewaxing equipment will also be stricter and improved to ensure that the produced edible oil meets higher quality standards.

In general, edible oil dewaxing equipment will continue to innovate and develop in the future, providing strong support for the progress of the edible oil industry.