Separators and decanters for animal and vegetable fats and oils

Gums are usually removed from oils containing significant quantities of phosphatides, vegetable gums, colloidal compounds and so on with the intention among others of increasing the oils' shelf lives. A variety of methods of removing gum employing specially designed separators may be used to this end.
Water gum removal from gums that may be hydrated: the hydrating process prevents the phosphatides from dissolving in the oil thus causing them to precipitate so that they may then be centrifugally removed with the help of separators. Acid gum removal from gums that cannot be hydrated: these may be conditioned into hydrated forms with the help of strong acids. The phospholipids will be destroyed here so that hot water may be added once the oil has been mixed with a suitable acid and a brief reaction period has been allowed to pass. The gums may then be centrifugally removed with the help of a separator.

Free fatty acids may be removed by neutralization. Standard neutralization processes employ caustic soda to convert the free fatty acids into soap stock which may then be removed centrifugally by separators.

A second neutralization process may be carried out to further optimize the quality of the oil particularly in regard to colour and taste. But this only delivers benefits for specific types of oil.

Soap residues in oils may be washed out. To this end, hot water may be added so that the mix may be separated into washed oil and soap stock with the help of separators. The oil may be washed in one or two stages.

Oils containing waxes, stearin or other high-melting substances that crystallize at low temperatures and so cause cloudiness are usually winterized. Separators may be used for the winterization process.

Residues of solids may be removed with self-cleaning disc separators; the oils' and fats' shelf lives will increase when solids are removed.

Various separating tasks must be fulfilled during the transesterification of fats and oils in the production of bio-diesel; these tasks may be carried out with the help of centrifugal separating technologies. For instance, separators may be used for the gum-removal, pre-esterification and transesterification, washing and polishing processes.

Once the raw fats have run through the mincer and melting tube and have been clarified in advance by decanting, separators may be employed to separate them into glue water, fat and solids.

Centrifugal separating technology may be used at animal rendering plants in the production of animal fats (for the chemicals industry) and meat meal. Subsequently, the fat produced may be polished with the help of separators.

Centrifugal separating technology may be used in the production of gelatine from bones, skin and pork rinds. Separators may be used to remove the fat from and to finely clarify the gelatine.

Meat broths contain fats that may be removed for further processing with separators.

Special separators may be used to separate fresh blood infused with anti-coagulation agents into blood plasma and blood concentrate. The blood concentrate may be further processed into blood meal; the plasma is used in the food industry.

Separators and decanters may also be used in the production of fish oil and fish meal. Following the boiling, compressing and/or decanting processes, separators may be employed to remove oil from the press water in two stages and three-phase decanters may be used to polish the oil.

The oil and protein-containing phases may be polished in separators after crushing, enzymatic decomposition and separation into solids, into the oil phase and watery phase with the help of three-phase decanters.

The fat and protein-containing phases are polished in separators after crushing, enzymatic decomposition and separation into solids, into the fat phase and watery phase with the help of three-phase decanters.

The removal of shell residues and chalazae and so on are regular tasks when eggs are processed into basic or secondary resources for the food industry. Special clarifying separators are excellently suited for such tasks.

Oil running from the upstream press contains a large amount of solids. Most of these solids may be removed in decanters by centrifugal force. Hot water is, however, frequently added to the oil to facilitate the removal of solids. The hot water causes the fine solids to swell, which makes them much easier to remove.

Once the raw fats have run through the mincer and melting tube, three-phase decanters may be employed to pre-clean/separate them into fat, glue water and solids.

In animal rendering plants centrifugal separating technologies may be employed in the production of animal fat (for the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries) and in the production of meat meal. Decanters may be used for pre-clarification of the sterilized fat (dry rendering) and for separating heated fats (wet rendering) into glue water, solids and fat before further polishing by separators.

Centrifugal separating technology may be used in the production of gelatine from bones, skin and pork rinds. Decanters may be used here for separating the extraction residues.

Once the fresh blood has been heated and coagulated, decanting processes with subsequent drying may be used to produce blood meal.

Separators and decanters may also be used in the production of fish oil and fish meal. Following the boiling and pressing processes, decanters may be employed to clarify press water, i.e. solid-liquid separation, and three-phase decanters may be used to realize solid-liquid-liquid separation. The separated solids may then be dried and processed into fish meal. Separators may be used to recover fish oil from the oily liquid phase.

Three-phase decanters may also be used after crushing and enzymatic decomposition to achieve separation into solids (-> fish meal), into the oil phases (->fish oil) and watery.

Three-phase decanters may also be used after crushing and enzymatic decomposition to achieve separation into solids, into the oil phases and watery protein-containing phases. The two liquid phases may then be polished in separators.

Various separating tasks must be fulfilled during the transesterification of vegetable oils in the production of bio-diesel; these tasks may be carried out with the help of centrifugal separating technologies. For instance, decanters may be used in the fat-washing, FFA-recycling and salt-washing processes.