Abstract: A process for the combined degumming and neutralization of an oil containing phosphatides and FFA, the process comprising: dosing an aqueous degumming reactant into the oil to form a mixture; introducing the mixture into a first set of flow-through hydrodynamic cavitation reactors to form at the exit of the first set of flow-through hydrodynamic cavitation reactors a mixture; dosing, at the exit of the first set of flow-through hydrodynamic cavitation reactors an aqueous caustic solution into the oil to form a mixture of aqueous caustic dispersed into the oil; introducing the mixture of an aqueous caustic dispersed into the oil into a second set of flow-through hydrodynamic cavitation reactors to form a mixture of oil containing hydrated phosphatides and neutralized FFA (soaps); and separating the mixture of oil containing hydrated phosphatides and soaps to obtain an oil phase and an aqueous phase.

Abstract: An oil bearing vegetable material crushing process including pre-heating and pre-drying the material to generate warm, partially dried oil bearing vegetable material. The partially dried material may then be surface heated rapidly, to generate warm and dried material having a weakened and non-adhering hull. The hull may then be mechanically cracked and removed to yield dehulled oil bearing vegetable material and hull. The dehulled material may be flaked to produce flakes. The flakes may be solvent extracted to generate solvent laden oil and solvent laden meal. The solvent laden meal produced may be desolventized to generate hot, wet meal. The wet meal produced may be dried to generate a hot vapor stream. The hot vapor stream generated by drying the meal is condensed in a condenser. The warm liquid medium produced in the condenser may be used to pre-heat and/or pre-dry the oil bearing vegetable material.

Abstract: A continuous process for the dry fractionation of edible oils and fats using one or more crystallisers in series, said process comprising the steps of: (a) providing a molten fat; (b) continuously feeding said molten oil or fat to the first of said one or more crystallisers in series in which the fat is gradually cooled by using heat exchangers containing a cooling medium so that a crystal slurry is formed, each of said one or more crystallisers exhibiting a temperature gradient, the temperature at the point where the molten or partially crystallised fat enters one of the crystallisers being higher than that at the point where the slurry leaves that crystalliser; (c) continuously withdrawing said slurry from the last of said one or more crystallisers; (d) separating said crystal slurry by filtration in a filter cake and a filtrate, wherein said process further comprises the step of at least partially melting fat encrustations deposited on said heat exchangers; and an oil fraction produced by therefrom.

Abstract: A process for the physical refining of edible oils and fats, said process comprising three consecutive stages, whereby in a first stage at least 60% by weight of the volatiles are evaporated in a flash vessel, in a second stage some residual volatiles are evaporated by countercurrent steam stripping using a packed column (3), and in a third stage further residual volatiles are evaporated in a cross-flow tray system (2), wherein the pressure in said flash vessel is maintained at a value below the pressure prevailing above said packed column (3); and an apparatus for the physical refining of edible oils and fats comprising a flash vessel, a packed column (3), sparging trays (2) and the means to maintain the pressure in said flash vessel at a value that is below the pressure prevailing above said packed column.

Abstract: An oilseed crushing process wherein the oilseeds are preheated to generate warm, soft oilseeds, then flakes are generated by flaking the warm, soft oilseeds. The flakes are then cooked by generating a hot vapor stream and hot flakes. The hot flakes are then prepressed to generate oil and a partially de-oiled cake. The partially de-oiled cake is solvent extracted to generate solvent laden oil and solvent laden meal. The hot, wet meal is then dried to generate oilseed meal and an additional hot vapor stream. The at least part of the preheating step to generate warm, soft oilseeds is accomplished using a hot liquid medium. The hot liquid medium is heated by a heat transfer mechanism that condenses at least one of the hot vapor streams generated during the flake-cooking step or the meal-drying step.

Abstract: A fatty material enzyme interesterification process comprising the steps of: a) providing a fatty material that has optionally undergone at least one prior purification treatment; b) introducing soap into said fatty material to form a soap-containing fatty material mixture, c) homogenising said soap-containing fatty material mixture by mixing, d) contacting said soap-containing fatty material mixture with lipase to produce a soap-containing interesterified fatty material, e) removing soaps from said soap-containing interesterified fatty material to yield interesterified fatty material, wherein said soap is either formed in-situ by addition of aqueous alkali to said fatty material or said soap is introduced directly into said fatty material.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for preparing a vegetable protein concentrate from oleaginous vegetable material that comprises the steps of: a) pre-treating the oleaginous vegetable material to open the cells; b) extracting the pre-treated vegetable material in a first extractor with an apolar solvent, to produce a solvent-wet, defatted vegetable material; c) contacting the defatted vegetable material with aqueous ethanol with an ethanol concentration of at least 80% by weight to produce a ethanol-wet, defatted vegetable material; d) wetting the ethanol-wet, defatted vegetable material with aqueous ethanol; e) extracting the vegetable material in an ultimate extractor to produce a solvent-wet proteinaceous material; f) desolventising said solvent-wet proteinaceous material to produce a vegetable protein concentrate.

Abstract: A process for the physical refining of edible oils and fats, said process comprising three consecutive stages, whereby in a first stage at least 60% by weight of the volatiles are evaporated in a flash vessel, in a second stage some residual volatiles are evaporated by countercurrent steam stripping using a packed column (3), and in a third stage further residual volatiles are evaporated in a cross-flow tray system (2), wherein the pressure in said flash vessel is maintained at a value below the pressure prevailing above said packed column (3); and an apparatus for the physical refining of edible oils and fats comprising a flash vessel, a packed column (3), sparging trays (2) and the means to maintain the pressure in said flash vessel at a value that is below the pressure prevailing above said packed column.

Abstract: A process for the recuperation of acylglycerols or acylglycerols containing free fatty acids from gums, present as aqueous emulsions, said gums being obtained by subjecting triglyceride oil to one or more degumming processes, said recuperation process comprising the steps of: subjecting said gums to enzymatic hydrolysis catalyzed by one or more enzymes with phospholipase activity; allowing said gums to separate into two or more phases, said two or more phases including at least an oily phase and an aqueous phase; and recuperating said oily phase comprising acylglycerols or acylglycerols containing free fatty acids; wherein said enzymatic hydrolysis is accelerated by adding at least part of the one or more enzymes with phospholipase activity to at least part of the water used in the recuperation and/or at least one degumming process; and/or at least part of said triglyceride oils treated in said degumming process; and/or by facilitating mixing at least part of said one or more enzymes with phospholipase activi

Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for removing organic solvents from a marc including the steps of: continuously introducing the marc into a desolventiser; introducing an inert, gaseous stripping medium into the desolventiser; removing the organic solvents from the marc by maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure inside the desolventiser, thus providing an organic solvent-desolventised material; and continuously extracting the organic solvent-desolventised material from the desolventiser; wherein step (a) and (d) comprise compacting the marc and the organic solvent-desolventised material into a first and second plastic, substantially gas-impermeable mass respectively and extruding the first and second plastic mass through an annular gap, the opening of which is controlled by the rate of supply of the first and second plastic mass. The invention also provides a device for compacting a moist organic material into a first plastic gas-impermeable mass which is useful for implementing this process.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for the production of a crystal slurry during the crystallization step of fractionation processes of edible oils and fats and related oil derivatives. The crystallization process for edible oil and fats is carried out in a crystallizer with stationary heat exchange elements, wherein the contents of said crystallizer are made to move along said heat exchange elements in an oscillatory manner without the use of an internal agitator. The crystallizer for edible oil and fats with stationary heat exchange elements is also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the transfer of organic compounds from a first liquid phase to a gaseous phase and from said gaseous phase to a second liquid phase, comprising a packed stripping column (2), a housing (5), a shell (1), a means for introducing the gaseous phase at the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), a distributor (4) for distributing said first liquid phase onto said packed stripping column (2), causing said first liquid phase to trickle down said packed stripping column (2) counter-currently to the flow of the gas phase and causing the gas stream leaving said packed stripping column (2) at its top end to have a higher content of organic compounds than the gaseous phase introduced at the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), one or more ducts (9/26) allowing the gaseous phase leaving said packed stripping column (2) to flow downwards to the bottom end of a packed scrubber (3) enclosed in a housing (25), a distributor (12) on top of said packed scrubber (3) ca

Abstract: A process for the recuperation of acylglycerols or acylglycerols containing free fatty acids from gums, present as aqueous emulsions, said gums being obtained by subjecting triglyceride oil to one or more degumming processes, said recuperation process comprising the steps of: subjecting said gums to enzymatic hydrolysis catalysed by one or more enzymes with phospholipase activity; allowing said gums to separate into two or more phases, said two or more phases including at least an oily phase and an aqueous phase; and recuperating said oily phase comprising acylglycerols or acylglycerols containing free fatty acids; wherein said enzymatic hydrolysis is accelerated by adding at least part of the one or more enzymes with phospholipase activity to at least part of the water used in the recuperation and/or at least one degumming process; and/or at least part of said triglyceride oils treated in said degumming process; and/or by facilitating mixing at least part of said one or more enzymes with phospholipase activi

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for the production of a crystal slurry during the crystallization step of fractionation processes of edible oils and fats and related oil derivatives. The crystallization process for edible oil and fats is carried out in a crystallizer with stationary heat exchange elements, wherein the contents of said crystallizer are made to move along said heat exchange elements in an oscillatory manner without the use of an internal agitator. The crystallizer for edible oil and fats with stationary heat exchange elements is also described.

Abstract: A process for the production and purification of fatty acid esters of lower alkyl alcohols with improved filtration characteristics comprising the steps of: a) transesterifying a mixture of fatty acid esters of glycerol with a lower alkyl alcohol while using an alkaline catalyst; b) separating the reaction mixture resulting from step (a) into a glycerol phase and a fatty acid lower alkyl ester phase; c) inactivating the catalytic intermediates present in said fatty acid lower alkyl ester phase; d) removing the lower alkyl alcohol from the mixture resulting from step (c) by evaporation at reduced pressure to a value of less than 2% by weight; e) treating the evaporation residue resulting from step (d) with water; and f) isolating the fatty acid esters of lower alcohols by drying the product resulting from step (e); and biodiesel containing FAME produced according to this process.

Abstract: The invention provides a continuous process for removing organic solvents from a marc including the steps of: continuously introducing the marc into a desolventiser; introducing an inert, gaseous stripping medium into the desolventiser; removing the organic solvents from the marc by maintaining a sub-atmospheric pressure inside the desolventiser, thus providing an organic solvent-desolventised material; and continuously extracting the organic solvent-desolventised material from the desolventiser; wherein step (a) and (d) comprise compacting the marc and the organic solvent-desolventised material into a first and second plastic, substantially gas-impermeable mass respectively and extruding the first and second plastic mass through an annular gap, the opening of which is controlled by the rate of supply of the first and second plastic mass. The invention also provides a device for compacting a moist organic material into a first plastic gas-impermeable mass which is useful for implementing this process.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the transfer of organic compounds from a first liquid phase to a gaseous phase and from said gaseous phase to a second liquid phase, comprising a packed stripping column (2), a housing (5), a shell (1), a means for introducing the gaseous phase at the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), a distributor (4) for distributing said first liquid phase onto said packed stripping column (2), causing said first liquid phase to trickle down said packed stripping column (2) counter-currently to the flow of the gas phase and causing the gas stream leaving said packed stripping column (2) at its top end to have a higher content of organic compounds than the gaseous phase introduced at the bottom end of said packed stripping column (2), one or more ducts (9/26) allowing the gaseous phase leaving said packed stripping column (2) to flow downwards to the bottom end of a packed scrubber (3) enclosed in a housing (25), a distributor (12) on top of said packed scrubber (3) ca