Introduction
Palm oil processing is a complex and sophisticated process involving the coordinated operation of multiple specialized equipment. From the receipt and sterilization of palm fruit to the final oil refining, each link directly affects the quality and output of the final product.
Understanding the functions and operating principles of palm oil processing equipment is essential to establishing an efficient palm oil production line. In this article, we will introduce the key equipment and their functions in each link of palm oil processing in detail according to the processing sequence.
Palm fruit receiving and pre-processing equipment
Palm fruit receiving stations are usually equipped with weighing systems and unloading platforms for accurate metering of raw materials and preliminary sorting of unqualified fruit clusters. Subsequently, the palm fruits are transported to the sterilization equipment, which is the first key link in the processing chain.
The sterilization tank (usually a vertical design) uses high-temperature steam treatment (about 30 minutes, 300KPa pressure) to inactivate the lipolytic enzymes in the pulp and prevent the rapid increase of free fatty acid (FFA) content.
This step is crucial to ensure the final oil quality, because palm fruits that are not properly sterilized will become rancid in a short time, resulting in increased difficulty in refining and reduced yield.
Fruit threshing equipment
The fruit threshing equipment is responsible for separating the palm fruits from the fruit bunches. Modern processing plants mostly use rotary drum threshing machines, which achieve efficient separation of fruit particles and empty fruit bunches through the mechanical action of the rotating cylinder and appropriate water flow flushing.
The efficiency of this process directly affects the processing effect of subsequent equipment. A well-designed threshing system can achieve a palm fruit separation rate of more than 95%.
The separated empty fruit bunches are usually used as boiler fuel or organic fertilizer to realize the resource utilization of processing by-products.
Crushing equipment
Crushing equipment is used to destroy the cell structure of palm fruit and release oil. The crushing tank or crusher separates the pulp from the kernel through mechanical action and prepares for the subsequent pressing process.
Efficient crushing equipment can fully crush the pulp without over-crushing the kernel, which is of great significance to improving the oil yield and reducing the difficulty of subsequent refining.
Some advanced production lines are also equipped with kernel sorting systems to collect the kernels separately for the production of palm kernel oil with higher added value.
Pressing equipment
Pressing equipment is the core of the entire processing process and directly determines the yield and quality of crude oil.
At present, the mainstream uses a double-screw oil press to squeeze out the oil in the pulp through progressive pressure increase. The key parameters of this type of equipment include spindle speed, pressing temperature, pressing chamber pressure, etc., which need to be finely adjusted according to the characteristics of the raw materials.
The pressing section of modern large-scale palm oil mills usually adopts a multi-stage pressing system, which, combined with preheating treatment, can make the pulp oil yield reach more than 90%. The fiber cake produced after pressing (containing about 5-7% residual oil) can be used as biomass fuel or animal feed raw material.
Crude oil clarification equipment
Crude oil clarification equipment is used to preliminarily purify the oil-water mixture obtained by pressing. This system usually includes multi-stage processing units such as vibrating screens, sedimentation tanks and centrifuges, which remove crude fiber, suspended solids and most of the water in turn.
A well-designed clarification system can reduce the water content of crude oil to below 0.5% and the impurity content to below 0.2%, creating good conditions for subsequent refining processes. Some advanced factories are also equipped with a nitrogen protection system for crude oil temporary storage tanks to prevent oxidation and deterioration.
Refining equipment
Palm oil refining machine is a key link in the production of edible palm oil, mainly including degumming, deacidification, decolorization and deodorization processes.
The degumming system removes phospholipids and other colloid-soluble impurities through acid treatment and water washing.
Deacidification equipment (usually a centrifuge combined with an alkali refining process) can reduce the content of free fatty acids.
The decolorization tower uses white clay to adsorb and remove pigments and trace impurities.
The deodorization system removes odorous substances and residual fatty acids under high temperature and high vacuum conditions.
The nanocavitation reaction device developed by Huatai Group can reduce the amount of acid added by 60% and the amount of alkali added by more than 20% during the refining process, while effectively controlling the generation of harmful substances such as glycidyl esters.
Fractionation equipment
Fractionation equipment is used to separate palm oil into different components according to melting point to meet diverse application needs. Modern fractionation systems achieve efficient separation of liquid oil (Olein) and solid fat (Stearin) through temperature-controlled crystallization and vacuum filtration.
This process requires extremely high temperature control accuracy and filtration efficiency of the equipment. High-quality fractionation equipment can achieve a separation efficiency of more than 85%, significantly improving the added value of the product.
Conclusion
Choosing the right palm oil processing equipment is a complex decision-making process that requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors to ensure the long-term benefits of investment.
Huatai Intelligent Equipment Group manufactures complete palm oil processing equipment, provides integrated solutions for the construction of small, medium and large palm oil processing plants, and provides complete turnkey projects. Please continue reading: https://www.cnhuataigroup.com/.