Selection of Degumming Agents in Soybean Oil Refining: Analysis of Common Degumming Technical Parameters and Optimization Schemes

How to Choose Degumming Agents in Soybean Oil Refining?

In the soybean oil refining process, the choice of degumming agents directly impacts the oil quality and subsequent process efficiency. Let's delve into the details to help you make better decisions.

Technical Analysis of Degumming Agents

Different degumming agents, such as phosphoric acid and citric acid, have their own applicable scenarios. Phosphoric acid is commonly used due to its strong ability to react with non - hydratable phospholipids. Generally, the recommended phosphoric acid addition amount is around 0.1% - 0.3% of the oil weight. This addition can significantly improve the phospholipid removal rate, which can reach up to 90% - 95% under proper conditions. Citric acid, on the other hand, is milder and is suitable for oils with relatively low impurity content. When using citric acid, the addition amount is usually about 0.05% - 0.15%.

Operation Optimization Guide

To enhance degumming efficiency, temperature control is crucial. Pre - heating the oil to 60 - 70°C before adding the degumming agent can accelerate the reaction. Adjusting the hydration time also plays an important role. Usually, a hydration time of 20 - 30 minutes can ensure sufficient reaction between the degumming agent and phospholipids. In terms of reducing odor, matching the vacuum degree and steam flow is the key. A vacuum degree of 90 - 95 kPa and a steam flow of 1 - 2 kg/h per ton of oil can effectively remove odorous substances.

Highlights of Process Integration

The modular design of the refining process can achieve seamless connection of the whole process of degumming - neutralization - bleaching - deodorization. This design reduces the loss in the intermediate links. For example, by using integrated equipment, the loss of oil during the transfer between different processes can be reduced from about 3% - 5% to less than 1%.

Actual Case Review

Let's look at a real - world case. A factory used to have an acid value of 2 - 3 mg KOH/g, a relatively dark color, and a strong odor in its soybean oil. After optimizing the degumming process with the methods mentioned above, the acid value dropped to 0.1 - 0.2 mg KOH/g, the color became lighter, and the odor was significantly reduced. The odor score increased from 3 points (on a scale of 1 - 10) to 8 points.

Visual Aids for Understanding

Flowcharts and parameter comparison tables can help you better understand the control points and collaborative relationships at each stage. For example, a flowchart can clearly show the sequence of each step in the degumming process, and a parameter comparison table can highlight the differences between different operation parameters and their impacts on the final oil quality.

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