Soybean oil is one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the world, mainly used for cooking, food processing and industrial applications. In order to make soybean oil meet edible standards and meet market demand, it needs to be refined. The refining process of soybean oil can remove impurities, free fatty acids, pigments and odors, ensuring that the finished oil is pure, stable, and has a good taste and appearance. Soybean oil refining machine is the key equipment to realize this process. This article will introduce the soybean oil refining machine in detail.

Ⅰ. Types of soybean oil refining machines

Depending on the production scale and refining process, soybean oil refining machines are divided into batch refining equipment, semi-continuous refining equipment and fully continuous refining equipment.

a. Batch refining equipment
Applicable scale: small or medium-sized production.
Process flow: Each step is carried out in sequence, and one batch of oil is processed at a time.
Advantages: low investment cost, flexible operation, suitable for small-scale production.
Disadvantages: low efficiency, long time consumption, and more manual intervention.

b. Semi-continuous refining equipment
Applicable scale: medium or large-scale production.
Process flow: Some processes (such as degumming and neutralization) are carried out in batches, while other processes (such as decolorization and deodorization) are carried out continuously.
Advantages: Higher efficiency than batch equipment, suitable for medium-scale production, and moderate equipment investment.
Disadvantages: Lower degree of automation compared to fully continuous systems.

c. Fully continuous refining equipment
Applicable scale: large-scale industrial production.
Process flow: All process steps are carried out continuously, and can produce uninterruptedly around the clock.
Advantages: Highest efficiency, high degree of automation, low labor cost, and stable finished product quality.
Disadvantages: High initial investment cost, complex equipment, suitable for large-scale production.

Ⅱ. Working principle of soybean oil refining machine

The soybean oil refining machine removes impurities from oil through a series of mechanical, thermal and chemical process steps. The following is the working principle of each key step:

Heating and degumming: After the crude soybean oil is heated to a suitable temperature, water or acid is added for treatment to condense the phospholipids and colloidal impurities in the oil. After that, these impurities are separated by a centrifugal separator.

Deacidification: The degummed oil enters the neutralization tank, and an appropriate amount of alkali is added to neutralize the free fatty acids. The soap formed after neutralization is separated from the oil by a centrifuge to remove the acidic components.

Decolorization process: The deacidified oil is transported to the decolorization tank, and the pigments and trace impurities in the oil are adsorbed by adding activated white clay or activated carbon. Finally, the adsorbent is filtered out through a filter to make the oil clearer.

Deodorization: The decolorized oil is heated and transported to the deodorization tower. Under vacuum conditions, volatile impurities and odors in the oil are removed by high-temperature steam distillation, making the finished oil taste fresher and purer.

Dewaxing (if necessary): For some soybean oils that need to maintain transparency, the dewaxing process is necessary when they are sold in a cold environment. Through the cooling system, the wax in the oil crystallizes at low temperatures, and then the wax is separated by filtration to ensure that the oil remains clear at low temperatures.

Ⅲ. Advantages of soybean oil refining machines

Automation control: Modern soybean oil refining equipment is usually equipped with an automatic control system, which can be monitored and adjusted in real time through PLC (programmable logic controller), improve production efficiency, and reduce human operation errors.
High efficiency and energy saving: Continuous refining equipment can achieve effective utilization of energy, reduce overall energy consumption through heat exchange and exhaust gas recovery, and greatly increase production speed.
High-quality finished oil: The refined soybean oil has a clear color, low acid value, no odor, meets the edible oil standards, and can meet the needs of the international market.
Environmental protection and sanitation: The entire production process is closed, avoiding external pollution and ensuring the sanitation and safety of the oil. At the same time, modern equipment is usually equipped with wastewater and exhaust gas treatment systems to reduce environmental pollution.
Cost-effectiveness: Through optimized process and equipment design, soybean oil refining machines can maximize the oil yield and reduce raw material waste and energy consumption costs.

Ⅳ. Technical parameters of soybean oil refining equipment

The following are some common technical parameters of soybean oil refining equipment, which vary depending on the production capacity and manufacturer of the equipment:

Processing capacity: From small-scale production of 1 ton/day to large-scale production of 100 tons/day.
Power consumption: Depending on the scale of production, the power consumption of the equipment is generally between 50 kW and 500 kW.
Material: The main contact parts of the equipment are usually made of stainless steel to prevent corrosion and contamination and ensure compliance with food safety standards.
Operating temperature: The temperature during soybean oil refining is generally between 100°C and 250°C, depending on the process steps and requirements.
Vacuum system pressure: The vacuum system pressure in the deodorization process is usually required to reach 0.1-3 mbar to ensure effective removal of volatile substances.

Ⅴ. Application scenarios of soybean oil refining machines

Soybean oil refining machines are suitable for oil processing plants of all sizes, from small factories to large industrial production enterprises. It is not only suitable for the refining of soybean oil, but also can be used for the refining of other vegetable oils such as peanut oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, etc. Since soybean oil occupies an important position in the global edible oil market, the demand for refining equipment is very extensive.

Market demand
Soybean oil refining machines are widely used around the world, especially in countries and regions with developed soybean planting and processing industries, such as the United States, Brazil, China and India. As people pay more and more attention to the quality and health of edible oil, the demand for high-quality refined soybean oil continues to grow.

VI. Conclusion

Soybean oil refining machines are indispensable equipment in the modern oil processing industry. Through multiple refining steps, it ensures that soybean oil meets edible standards and is competitive in the market.