Soybean oil refining is a complex and critical process that aims to extract high-quality oil from soybeans and remove impurities and unwanted components. The following is a detailed introduction to soybean oil refining.

Soybean oil is one of the most important vegetable oils in the world and is widely used in cooking, food processing, and industrial purposes. The soybean oil production process involves extracting crude oil from soybeans and then converting it into high-purity edible oil through a series of refining steps. The refining process not only improves the quality of soybean oil, but also extends its shelf life.

Main steps of soybean oil refining

1. Degumming:

Crude soybean oil contains phospholipids, proteins, and other colloids that affect the stability and quality of the oil. The degumming process removes these colloids by heating and adding water or acid to obtain degummed oil.

2. Deacidification:

Degummed oil still contains free fatty acids, which affect the taste and shelf life of the oil. The deacidification process is usually carried out by alkali neutralization, that is, adding alkali (such as sodium hydroxide) to the oil to convert the free fatty acids into soaps, which are then removed by centrifugation.

3. Decolorization:

Soybean oil may contain pigments and other impurities that affect the appearance and quality of the oil. The decolorization process removes pigments and impurities by adding adsorbents (such as activated carbon or bleaching earth) to obtain decolorized oil.

4. Deodorization:

Soybean oil may contain volatile odor substances that affect the taste and smell of the oil. The deodorization process removes these volatile odor substances by high-temperature steam distillation to obtain odorless refined soybean oil.

5. Winterization:

In some cases, soybean oil needs to be winterized to remove waxes and high-melting point fatty acids. The winterization process is carried out by cooling and filtering to keep the oil clear and transparent at low temperatures.

Application of soybean oil refining:

Refined soybean oil has the advantages of high purity, good stability and no odor, and is widely used in the food industry and home cooking. It is not only the main raw material for cooking oil, salad oil and margarine, but also used in the production of various food additives and health products. In addition, refined soybean oil is also widely used in industrial fields, such as the production of biodiesel, lubricants and cosmetics.

Soybean oil refining is a multi-step and complex process that involves extracting and purifying oil from soybeans. Through the refining process, the quality of soybean oil has been significantly improved to meet the needs of multiple fields such as food, industry and agriculture. With the continuous advancement of technology, the soybean oil refining process is also being continuously optimized to improve efficiency and product quality, and promote the sustainable development of the soybean oil industry.