Vegetable Oil Production

Production of vegetable oils for various uses (food, lubricants, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biofuels) involves extracting oil from seeds or beans through mechanical or chemical methods. Oilseeds are categorized into low oil content (up to 20%) and high oil content (up to 60%).

Mechanical Extraction

• Originated with the Egyptians (1650 B.C.) using wooden pestles and stone mortars.
• Modern methods use expeller presses to crush seeds, extract oil, and leave 5-7% residual oil.
• Low oil seeds use one-pass pressing; high oil seeds use a two-pass process.
• Single screw expanders, which generate heat through friction, have replaced older methods, increasing efficiency and capacity.

Chemical Extraction

• Began in France (1855) using solvents like carbon disulfide.
• Modern methods use hexane to extract oil, leaving less than 1% residual oil.
• High-capacity plants can process up to 6000 MTPD.
• Wet expanders improve efficiency by enhancing porosity and percolation in the meal.