With the demand of soybean oil on the rise, hexane extraction of soybean oil is one of the driving processes to be able to continue to reach the increase of the demand of soybean oil.
In order for suppliers to meet the current demand, they need to choose the optimal soybean oil extraction process. Using chemical compounds known as solvents, manufacturers are able to remove the oil from soybean oil in a cost-effective way that yields a high amount of the desired compound from the seed.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at why hexane extraction is one of the main processes manufacturers are turning to in order to meet the high demand for this compound.
Why Use Hexane for Extraction of Soybean Oil?
Using hexane for the extraction of edible oils is one of the most popular methods in the industry to produce large quantities of the desired compound. Hexane is a favored solvent for this process due to its high oil recovery and low production cost.
Process of Hexane Extraction of Soybean Oil
The process of extracting oil using hexane has two primary steps: pretreatment and extraction.
Soybean Pretreatment = Soybeans are cleaned and prepared in the most suitable condition for extraction to occur. This step includes the soybeans going through cleaning, crushing, softening, flaking, and cooking machines. Depending on the processing plant, this may differ.
Soybean Solvent Extraction = The solvent extraction process is where the extraction of desirable compounds from soybeans occurs, and can be completed in approximately four steps:
- Extraction — Hexane is used to produce two kinds of products: a wet meal with the solvent and a mixed oil that contains the solvent and soybean oil.
- Removing Solvent from Wet Meal — The solvent will then be separated from the wet meal by removing the solvent then heating, drying, and cooling the meal which can be used as animal feed.
- Mixed Oil Stripping and Steaming — The oil mixture contains oil and hexane, and the two are separated using evaporators and stripping tower.
- Solvent Recycling — The solvent removed in the previous step is cooled and recycled into a tank to then be used again for extraction.
Once this process is finished, a refining process can be performed to prepare the soybean oil for consumer use.
Looking to Purchase Solvents for Industrial Extraction?
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