Deodorizing system modification for heat recovery and steam refining of palm oil

Abstract

With continuous deodorizers of the double shell type most of the steam normally used to preheat the feedstock in the deaerating section can be saved by a modification-the essential feature of which is the addition of a heat recovery section location between the final deodorizing section and the cooling section, by means of which heat is transferred from the hot deodorized oil to the feedstock. Consistent with the principles of the original design, no pumping or piping of hot oil outside the deodorizer is required. Continuous deodorizers of the stripping tray type can be modified for “steam refining” or “stripping” of high free fatty acid palm oil to reduce the free fatty acid palm oil to reduce the free fatty acids to 0.03% max. This is accomplished by means of additional trays in the stripping sections of the deodorizer. The capacity, sparge steam temperature, vacuum and retention time remain the same as with normal deodorization.