Extraction Method for Sunflower Seed Oil

The extraction method for sunflower seed oil is one of the common processing methods in the edible oil processing industry today. Projects using the extraction method are usually large-scale projects, such as those with a daily output of more than 30 tons, which are more suitable for extraction oil production. Common projects using extraction equipment include soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, and other extraction oil projects.

The extraction process for oil can be divided into direct extraction and pre-press extraction. The choice of process depends on the oil content of the raw material. For raw materials with low oil content, such as soybeans and rice bran, the direct extraction process can maximize oil extraction. For raw materials with high oil content, such as rapeseed and peanuts, the pre-press extraction method can be used. First, 80% to 89% of the oil is extracted using an oil press, and then the pressed cake is crushed and sent to the extraction equipment to extract the remaining oil.

Regardless of the extraction process used, the advantages of the extraction method for oil production are very obvious: high oil yield, low residual oil rate, the residual oil rate can be reasonably controlled below 1%, and the quality of the cake is high, which is conducive to secondary utilization.

The complete set of extraction equipment production lines for sunflower seed oil requires many types of equipment, which can be divided into three stages from raw materials to finished oil:

1. Raw Material Pretreatment:

The purpose of this stage is to clean, de-stone, crush, steam, and expand the raw materials. The equipment required varies according to the type of raw material. For example, rice bran extraction usually adopts the expansion extraction process, which can better change the original structure of rice bran, making it more conducive to oil extraction. The equipment commonly used in this part includes vibrating cleaning de-stoner, crusher, flaking machine, expander, steaming and frying pan, etc.

2. Oil Extraction:

In this stage, the extraction equipment uses a solvent to fully contact the pretreated raw materials, extracting the oil to form mixed oil. The solvent and oil are then separated by evaporating, stripping, condensing, and recovering the solvent, leaving crude oil for the next process. The complete set of extraction equipment consists of a meal extraction system, wet meal desolventizing system, mixed oil evaporation system, and solvent recovery system.

3. Crude Oil Refining:

The extraction method for oil production must be equipped with refining equipment, not only because of the impurities in the oil but also because the crude oil extracted contains a small amount of solvent residue, which is harmful to the human body if consumed. Refining equipment is needed to control this within a reasonable range. Refining equipment generally includes five main processes: degumming, deacidification, dehydration, decolorization, and deodorization. Since some oils need to be dewaxed, such as rice bran, tea seed, and walnut oil, a dewaxing process is also required after deodorization. The refined oil that has undergone the above "six-de" processes is inspected and qualified before being bottled and stored, which is the edible oil sold in supermarkets.

The extraction equipment production line is relatively a large investment project, with high requirements for equipment quality and safety. Therefore, customers should compare and inspect multiple manufacturers when choosing, selecting the one that suits them best, and ensuring better guarantees in terms of design, equipment quality, and after-sales service.