Process for refining glyceride oil

• US 5,248,799 A
• Filed: 09/25/1991
• Issued: 09/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PQ Silicas UK Limited (Ecovyst, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Unilever Patent Holdings BV (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Schmutzler, Luis O. F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dees, Jose G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARR, DEBORAH D
• Application Number:
  US07/765,176
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 260/428, 260/428.5, 554/191, 554/192
• US Class Current: 554/192
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/02 by chemical reaction C11B3/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/10 by adsorption

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for refining glyceride oil, comprising the steps of:

i) acidifying the oil with an acid;

ii) partially neutralizing the acidified oil with alkali;

iii) contacting the partially neutralized oil with an amorphous silica; and

iv) removing solids from the glyceride oil.

Preferably, water is removed from the mixture comprising the glyceride oil and the amorphous silica before any solids are removed.

Claims

1. Method of refining glyceride oil, comprising the steps of:

i) acidifying the oil with an acid;

ii) partially neutralizing the acidified oil with alkali to the less than 90% of the added acid;

iii) contacting the partially neutralized oil with an amorphous silica; and

iv) removing solids from the glyceride oil.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein water is removed from the mixture comprising the glyceride oil and the amorphous silica.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acidified oil is neutralized with alkali for less than 80% of the added acid.

4. Method as claimed in claim 3, wherein about 50 to about 75% of the added acid is neutralized with alkali.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alkali is selected from the group comprising hydroxides and silicates.

6. Method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the alkali is sodium silicate.

7. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alkali is added as an aqueous alkali solution.

8. Method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the alkali is added as an aqueous 5-20% w/w alkali solution.

9. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oil temperature during acidification is less than 60°

C.

10. Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the oil temperature during acidification is about 5°

-50°

C.

11. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oil temperature during the contact with the amorphous silica is above 70°

C.

12. Method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the oil temperature during the contact with the amorphous silica is in the range of 80°

-95°

C.

13. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amorphous silica is a silica hydrogel.

14. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oil is slowly dried under vacuum.

15. Method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the drying time under vacuum is about 10 minutes to 2 hours.

16. Method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the vacuum is less than 700 mbar.

17. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mil is dried to a water content of less than 0.3% w/w.

18. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dried oil is bleached using a bleaching agent.