What are the components of palm oil refinery plant?
FAQ / Chat on line / Give me a price / Date: July 16, 2025
A palm oil refinery plant typically consists of several key components, each designed to process crude palm oil (CPO) into refined palm oil (RPO) and other byproducts. In this article, we will explore the key components of a palm oil refinery plant.
1. Reception and Storage Unit:
(1) Crude Palm Oil Tanks: After extraction from the palm fruits, the crude palm oil is stored in large oil tanks. These oil tanks are designed to maintain specific temperature and humidity conditions to prevent degradation of the crude palm oil before refining.
(2) Storage Silos: Used for storing various oils and byproducts.
(3) Weighbridge: To weigh incoming crude palm oil.
2. Palm Oil Degumming Unit:
(1) Mixing Tank: The crude palm oil degumming process begins in a mixing tank where the crude palm oil is mixed with water or a solution of water and phosphoric acid. This helps to hydrate and precipitate the gums (phospholipids) present in the crude palm oil.
(2) Separation Equipment: After mixing, the oil is transferred to a centrifuge or a settling tank where the gums are separated from the oil. This step is crucial as it removes impurities that can affect the quality and stability of the refined palm oil.
Palm oil degumming machine
3. Palm Oil Deacidification Unit:
(1) Clean Oil Tank: The degummed palm oil is then pumped into a clean oil tank. Here, any remaining solids are settled out, ensuring that only clarified palm oil proceeds to the next stage.
(2) Neutralizer: In the neutralizer, the palm oil is treated with an alkaline solution (sodium hydroxide) to neutralize free fatty acids. This process is essential to inhibit the increase of free fatty acid content in the palm oil and extend the shelf life of palm oil. The neutralized oil contains soapstock (sodium salts of fatty acids) which is later separated.
(3) Centrifuge or Sedimentation Tank: The soapstock and residual impurities are separated from the oil using centrifuges or sedimentation tanks. This ensures that the oil is free from other undesirable substances.
Palm oil deacidification machine
4. Palm Oil Decolorization Unit:
(1) Decolorization Pot: The decolorization section involves adsorbent clays (like activated carbon, activated clay) to remove pigments, oxidation products and trace impurities from the oil, producing a lighter, more stable oil.
(2) Filter Press: After decolorization, the oil is filtered through a filter press to separate the spent bleaching earth from the oil. This results in a clearer and more refined palm oil.
Palm oil decolorization machine
5. Palm Oil Deodorization Unit:
(1) Deodorization Pot: The palm oil deodorization process removes volatile compounds that contribute to off-flavors and odors in the oil. This is achieved by heating the oil under vacuum and passing steam through it. The volatile compounds are carried away by the steam, leaving behind a more stable and odorless oil.
(2) Condenser: The condenser captures the steam and volatile compounds removed during deodorization. This condensed steam, now containing the extracted impurities, is sent to further treatment.
Palm oil deodorization machine
6. Refined Palm Oil Fractionation Unit (Optional):
The refined palm oil can be further fractionated into different types of palm oil, such as palm olein (liquid) and palm stearin (solid). This is done by controlled cooling and separation based on different melting points. Refined palm oil fractionation unit mainly includes crystallization tank, cooling tank and filter.
Refined palm oil fractionation unit
7. Refined Oil Storage Unit:
Finally, the refined palm oil is stored in dedicated tanks. These tanks are equipped to prevent oxidation and maintain the quality of the oil. From here, the refined palm oil is either dispatched for packaging or further processed depending on its end use.
To sum up, a palm oil refinery plant consists of the key components above, which work together to convert crude palm oil into high-quality refined palm oil. Understanding these components is vital for anyone involved in palm oil production or processing. If you would like to know more, please contact Henan Glory Company(with branch and overseas warehouse in Nigeria)!
