Soybean Oil Refining

CAUSTIC REFINING PROCESS 

 

 

TABLES  VIII  and  IX  indicate the successive steps and the components removed and/or 

reduced. 

 

The components which are insoluble in fat, mainly entrained seed particles, are in most cases 

removed from the oil by filtration. The oil, now free of suspended matter, is then degummed 

to remove the phosphatides. 

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The oil degumming and soybean lecithin production will not be considered here. 

 

When the oil is to be degummed, it is usually done at the oil mill except when the oil refinery 

also produces commercial lecithin. 

 

Our starting raw material will be a soybean oil with a maximum phosphorus content of 200 

ppm (VERNOF and NSPA specifications) 

 

TABLE X  indicates the different steps of an industrial continuous process.