Methods for reducing soap formation during vegetable oil refining
First Claim
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1. A method for reducing soap formation during refining of a vegetable oil, the method comprising:
- a. mixing an acid-treated vegetable oil with a base to neutralize free fatty acid and acid in the acid-treated vegetable oil to form a pretreated mixture;
b. passing the pretreated mixture through a low-shear pump operating at a shear rate of less than 2,500 s−
1 to increase pressure in the pretreated mixture to form a pressurized pretreated mixture; and
c. forming a reacted mixture by passing the pressurized pretreated mixture through a static hydrodynamic reactor to induce a neutralization reaction in the pressurized pretreated mixture, the neutralization reaction forms soaps in the reacted mixture, the soaps being present in the reacted mixture at less than 200 ppm.
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Abstract
A method for refining vegetable oil is used to reduce formation of soaps. An acid-treated vegetable oil mixture is passed through a low shear mixing device prior to being fed to an static hydrodynamic reactor. The static hydrodynamic reactor induces a neutralization reaction that forms soaps in a pressurized vegetable oil mixture. The reacted mixture is discharged from the reactor to a downstream system for separating the formed soaps from the reacted mixture to form a refined vegetable oil having reduced soaps content.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for reducing soap formation during refining of a vegetable oil, the method comprising:
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a. mixing an acid-treated vegetable oil with a base to neutralize free fatty acid and acid in the acid-treated vegetable oil to form a pretreated mixture; b. passing the pretreated mixture through a low-shear pump operating at a shear rate of less than 2,500 s−
1 to increase pressure in the pretreated mixture to form a pressurized pretreated mixture; andc. forming a reacted mixture by passing the pressurized pretreated mixture through a static hydrodynamic reactor to induce a neutralization reaction in the pressurized pretreated mixture, the neutralization reaction forms soaps in the reacted mixture, the soaps being present in the reacted mixture at less than 200 ppm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for reducing soap formation during refining of a vegetable oil, the method comprising:
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a. mixing an acid-treated vegetable oil with a base to neutralize free fatty acid and acid in the acid-treated vegetable oil to form a pretreated mixture; b. passing the pretreated mixture through a low-shear pressurizing device operating at a shear rate of less than 2,500 s−
1 to increase pressure to greater than 750 psi in the pretreated mixture to form a pressurized pretreated mixture;c. forming a reacted mixture by passing the pressurized pretreated mixture through a two or more local constrictions in series, each local constriction generates cavitation in the pressurized pretreated mixture to induce a neutralization reaction in the pressurized pretreated mixture, the neutralization reaction forms soaps in the pressurized pretreated mixture; d. adding water to the reacted mixture; and e. separating the soaps from the reacted mixture to form a refined vegetable oil, the refined vegetable oil comprising less than 200 ppm of the soaps. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification