PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – De-acidification presents a promising solution to the limitations of the available deodorization processes. Among these methods, solvent de-acidification emerges as the easiest, simplest, and most cost-effective approach.
In the crude palm oil (CPO) refining process, deodorization stands out as a crucial step aimed at removing free fatty acids (FFA) and unwanted substances, including odor-causing components, without compromising the quality of the processed CPO. This phase significantly influences the organoleptic properties, stability, nutrient content, and functional attributes of the final product.
Meeting market demands to reduce the production of trans fatty acids and preserve tocopherol or tocotrienol content poses a challenge for the development of efficient deodorization technologies. Efficiency entails minimizing costs, maximizing yields, and utilizing more economical supporting equipment.
Also Read: Utilizing Solvent for De-Acidification of Crude Palm Oil
Deodorization involves heating vegetable oils to temperatures exceeding 200°C under low pressure for a specific duration. This physical process facilitates the evaporation and removal of many components, although chemical and thermal reactions may also occur.
Vanishing FFA from CPO would represent the simplest phase but difficult in refining process because it determines the quality of end products. Deodorization would have something to do with the economy of CPO production because every insufficient thing in the process would massively influence the next process.
De-acidification is the method that would solve every available process.
An alternative approach could be used to get vegetable oil de-acidification, such as, de-acidification biological-enzymatic, de-acidification re-esterification (chemical modification), membrane de-acidification, supercritical liquid extraction de-acidification, and solvent de-acidification.
De-acidification applying solvent extraction (liquid-liquid) is the easiest and simple process of others becauseit could be practiced at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and energy consumption in refining unit could be reduced without losing the nutrient substance from its natural composition. (*)
