The determination of the rate of extraction of crude lipids from oil seeds with solvents

Summary

Two basic methods have been presented for measuring the rate of extraction of crude lipids from “oil”-bearing materials with solvent. In the Percolation Method the extraction is carried out by percolating fresh solvent through the sample and measuring the “oil” recovered at succeeding time intervals. In the Batch Co-current Method samples of miscella are withdrawn periodically from an agitated batch of known quantities of oil-seed and solvent and analyzed for lipids to check the progress of the extraction.

These methods have been used successfully in the Blaw-Knox laboratories over the last four years in making studies of factors influencing equipment design and plant operation as well as fundamental studies contributing to a general understanding of extraction. Some of the “oil”-bearing materials which have been studied using these methods include: soybeans, cottonseed, peanuts, flaxseed, corn germ, castor beans, wheat germ, rice bran, mowrah seeds, tung nuts, grain sorghum, and various expeller and press cakes. Special studies include methods of preparation, temperature effect, moisture content, nature of solvent, varieties of seed, and particle size.