Solvent Extraction and Sustainability in Rice Bran Oil Production

Rice bran oil, corn germ oil, and wheat germ oil are considered niche, emerging oils. Rice, corn, and wheat, as three staple grains, serve not only as essential food sources but also as raw materials for grain-based oils. Advancing deep processing of grains can produce by-products such as rice bran, wheat bran, and corn germ, which can be further utilized to produce grain oils with high nutritional value. This not only enhances the value-added of grains but also boosts self-sufficiency in edible oil production, achieving multiple benefits.

Grain oils, including rice bran oil, corn oil, and wheat germ oil, have significant potential for development in China. The transformation from grain processing by-products to grain oil relies on key technologies such as raw material preservation and refining techniques. The development of the grain oil industry is heavily dependent on technological innovation, requiring close integration of science and industry. Collaboration among governments, enterprises, and research institutions is essential to provide technical support for the industrialization of grain oil production. For example, rice bran boasts high nutritional value and bioactive properties, but fresh rice bran is prone to rancidity, has poor oxidative stability, and is difficult to collect in a centralized manner, greatly limiting its deep processing and value-added utilization.

Rice bran oil can be extracted through various methods, such as microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, subcritical water extraction, and solvent extraction. Among these, solvent extraction is currently the most commonly used oil production technique in industrial production. Solvent extraction leverages the solubility of oil in the selected solvent, wherein treated oil materials are soaked in the solvent to dissolve the oil. The oil is then separated from the crude oil through processes such as distillation. The most commonly used solvent in the market is hexane, which is inexpensive, highly volatile, and efficient in production. However, considering its environmental impact, alternatives such as ethanol, isopropanol, and D-limonene are being explored.

The production of rice bran oil extraction heavily depends on grain and oil processing equipment. From screening, cleaning, and extrusion-expanding of rice bran raw materials to solvent extraction, mechanical equipment is indispensable. High-quality grain and oil equipment can greatly improve efficiency. For this, we recommend the rice bran oil extraction production line designed and manufactured by Henan Huatai Oil Machinery.