Rapeseed Oil
Well into the late 20th century, rapeseed oil was unsuitable for human consumption as it contained erucic acid which is harmful to health. An essentially new situation was created with the cultivation of special low erucic acid varieties. Nowadays, rapeseed oil is one of the most important edible oils in the world, obtained primarily in Central Europe, Canada, China and India.
GEA Westfalia Separator developed its patented TOP degumming process to produce pure rapeseed oil. This method can be used to reduce the proportion of unwanted phosphatides to < 10 ppm both simply and quickly. The process is characterized by very simple process management and extremely short reaction times for an optimum level of degumming.
Process line for recovering and refining rapeseed oil using the example of TOP degumming and physical deacidification
After a GEA Westfalia Separator decanter has clarified the press oil and a separator has separated the hydratable phosphatides from the water degumming process, TOP degumming is started, to hydrate the phospholipids.
The gums are then separated in a 2-stage separation phase. The first separator separates the larger particles and the subsequent high-performance clarifier the smaller ones. To prevent oil being wasted, the separated gums and the water from the second separation stage added upstream of the clarifier are returned to the feed of the previous separator which separates the fine particles together with the larger phosphatides.
In a final stage, the rapeseed oil is vacuum-dried, bleached and can then be physically deacidified.
Process line for TOP-degumming
