Solvent Extraction

AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo

Orlando, FL
May 2017
 Oilseed
microstructure
Oilseed microstructure

Lets zoom in for

a closer look

Typical Soybean Flake

Oilseed microstructure

0.38 mm Approx. 15 cells thick

Oilseed Flake Cell Structure

Oilseed microstructure

Lets zoom in
further to view
0.38 mm
a single cell

Soybean Flake Cell Structure

Oilseed microstructure

75 μm

25 μm

Typical Soybean Cell

 Oilseed microstructure
Oil Bodies
Cell Wall (0.2-0.5 μm diameter)

Protein
Bodies

Carbohydrates,
Ash, etc.

Typical Soybean Cell

 Oilseed microstructure

Cell Wall Oil Bodies

(0.2-0.5 μm diameter)
Protein Bodies
Carbohydrates,
Ash, etc.

Actual Soybean Cell

Yaklich/Murphy, USDA-ARS
Oilseed microstructure

.2-.5 μm

Oleosin
(yellow)
Triglycerides
(blue)
Phospholipids
(red)

Typical Oil Body

Huang, University of California
Solvent Extraction
Process
Seed Preparation Impact

The seed preparation process determines the portion

of the cells whose walls are ruptured.

FLAKING – ruptures a portion of the cell walls

EXPANDING – ruptures a significant portion of the cell walls

PREPRESSING – ruptures a significant portion of the cell walls

Solvent Extraction Process

For cells with ruptured walls, oil is extracted quickly via:

LEACHING / WASHING

For cells with walls intact, oil is extracted slowly via:

DIFFUSION / DIALYSIS
Solvent Extraction Parameters

1. EXTRACTION CONTACT TIME

2. NUMBER OF EXTRACTION STAGES
3. PARTICLE THICKNESS
4. MISCELLA FLUX RATE
5. SURFACE MOISTURE
6. TEMPERATURE
7. SOLVENT RETENTION
 Solvent Extraction Parameters

1. Extraction Contact Time

Extraction contact time is the total time in which miscella immerses

the material while descending down through the material layer.
Solvent Extraction Parameters

2. Number of Extraction Stages

Increasing the number of countercurrent

extraction stages that approach equilibrium,
shortens the total extraction time required.
It is important that each stage approaches equilibrium, and
does not mix with adjacent stages to be effective.

Most commercial extractors have 6-12 extraction stages.

 Solvent Extraction Parameters

3. Particle Thickness

Particle thickness determines the time required for the miscella in the
cells to approach equilibrium with the surrounding miscella at each
extraction stage.
Seed type & material preparation have a significant impact:
Soybean Expandates: 4 minutes/stage
Rapeseed Cake: 8 minutes/stage
0.38 mm Soybean Flakes: 5 minutes/stage
0.30 mm Soybean Flakes: 4 minutes/stage

The material preparation choice significantly impacts operating cost.

Solvent Extraction Parameters

4. Miscella Flux Rate

Miscella flux rate is the rate which miscella descends down

through the material layer.

Critical in extractor design to minimize extraction stage mixing.

Material preparation has a big impact on the miscella flux rate:

Soybean Expandates: 41 m3/h/m2 or 1.4 m/min down through expandates
Rapeseed Cake: 25 m3/h/m2 or 0.8 m/min down through cake
0.38 mm Soybean Flakes: 19.5 m3/h/m2 or 0.6 m/min down through flakes
0.30 mm Soybean Flakes: 12.5 m3/h/m2 or 0.4 m/min down through flakes
Solvent Extraction Parameters

5. Surface Moisture

A coating of surface moisture on the particles in the extractor

impedes the ability for miscella to penetrate the coated
particles, preventing proper oil extraction.

Excess moisture in the air surrounding the flakes, expandates or

cake conveyed to the extractor can condense on the surface of
the particles, causing a coating of surface moisture.

Proper preparation aspiration and conveyor insulation is critical

for good extraction results.
Solvent Extraction Parameters

6. Temperature

The higher the extractor operating temperature,

the faster the miscella diffuses through cell walls,
and the faster the miscella in the cells approaches
equilibrium with the surrounding miscella.

When balancing extraction efficiency

with safety and environmental concerns,
the extractor should ideally be operated just under the
azeotropic solvent boiling temperature of 61-62°C.
Solvent Extraction Parameters

7. Solvent Retention

Solvent retention is the amount of weak miscella

leaving the extractor in the extracted solids.

The dripping time, material layer height,

miscella flux rate, and supporting screen open area
all impact solvent retention.

Solvent retention is in the range of 26-30%

in adequately sized extractors.
Solvent Extraction Parameters

1. EXTRACTION CONTACT TIME

2. NUMBER OF EXTRACTION STAGES
3. PARTICLE THICKNESS
4. MISCELLA FLUX RATE
5. SURFACE MOISTURE
6. TEMPERATURE
7. SOLVENT RETENTION
Major Solvent Extractor
Designs
Major Solvent Extractor Designs

Chain Conveyor Type

Crown Model III Extractor

Major Solvent Extractor Designs

Belt Conveyor Type

Desmet Ballestra LM™ Extractor

Major Solvent Extractor Designs

Rotary Compartment Type

Desmet Ballestra Reflex® Extractor

Major Solvent Extractor Designs

Linear Compartment Type

Lurgi Extractor
Major Solvent Extractor Designs

Performance
 All of these major extractor designs can achieve similar oil
extraction efficiency when adequately sized, fed a properly
prepared product, and they are properly operated
 OPEX, CAPEX and maintenance requirements (reliability)
are the differentiating factors
 Meal
Desolventizing
DT Unit Processes

Predesolventizing

Desolventizing

Toasting & Stripping

Steam Drying
DT Unit Processes

Predesolventizing

 Purpose is to remove a
minority of the solvent using
indirect steam heat to reduce
live steam condensed into the
meal and thereby save DC steam
 10-20% of solvent removed
 57 66°C meal temperature
 12% typical meal moisture
DT Unit Processes

Desolventizing

 Purpose is to remove the majority

of the solvent using live steam
 80-90% of solvent removed
 Mostly direct steam latent heat
 Some added indirect steam heat
 6699°C meal temperature
 1220% meal moisture
DT Unit Processes

Toasting & Stripping

 Remove final traces of hexane

 Deactivate anti-nutritional factors
 Direct Steam Specific Heat
 Indirect Steam Heat
 99-108°C Meal Temperature
 2019% Meal Moisture
 20-25 minutes (soybean)
DT Unit Processes

Steam Drying

 Purpose is to both dry the meal to

save DC steam, and to enable low
pressure water vapor heat to be
recovered in extraction
 Half of drying heat is from meal
 Half of drying heat is from tray
 Water vapor captured via
steam ejector for heat recovery
 Meal
Drying & Cooling
DC Unit Processes

Meal drying

Meal cooling
DC Unit Processes

Meal Drying
 18-21% meal moisture in
 102°C meal temperature in
 13% typical meal
moisture out
 63°C typical meal
temperature out
 600 mm typical meal levels
 Mechanical gate level
control
DC Unit Processes

Meal Cooling
 13% meal moisture in
 63°C meal temperature in
 12.3% typical meal
moisture out
 38°C typical meal
temperature out
Miscella Distillation
Miscella Distillation
Miscella Distillation

First Stage Solvent Evaporation

 Approximately 94% of the solvent
is evaporated in this process step
using waste heat from the DT vent
 Miscella composition entering
is 20-30% oil & 70-80% solvent
 Miscella composition exiting
is 80-90% oil & 10-20% solvent
 Critical heat recovery device
 Miscella Distillation

Second Stage Solvent Evaporation

2 Preheating passes

 Approximately 5% of the solvent

is evaporated in this process step
Evaporation

using fresh steam

 Miscella composition entering
is 80-90% oil & 10-20% solvent
 Miscella composition exiting
is 96-97% oil & 3-4% solvent
Miscella Distillation

Live Stream Stripping

 Approximately 1% of the solvent

is evaporated in this process step
using fresh steam
 Miscella composition entering
is 96-97% oil & 3-4% solvent
 Miscella composition exiting
is 99.995% oil & 0.005% solvent
Solvent Recovery
 MOS

Atmospheric Condenser
Atmospheric Vapor Condensation

Extractor
Separation Tank
Solvent Recovery

Miscella Tank
First Stage Evaporator

DT
 Solvent Recovery

Vacuum Vapor Condensation

Vacuum
Pre-Condenser
First Stage Evaporator

Second Stage Evap.

M.O. Stripper

Oil Stripper

Oil Dryer
Vacuum Condenser
Solvent Recovery

Solvent / Water Separation

Atmospheric Condenser

First Stage Evaporator

Vacuum
Vacuum Condenser
Pre-Condenser

Solvent/Water solvent
water effluent Separator
 Solvent Recovery

Solvent Heating
54°C
Vacuum Precondenser

Condensate Preheater
60°C

(condensate flash heat)

(waste stripper heat)

Solvent Heater
(steam heat)
To Extractor

~99.95% solvent
is recovered and
solvent recirculated to
38°C
the extractor
60°C
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Solvent Vapor Absorber

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Solvent Vapor Absorber

 Thank you!

AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo

Orlando, FL
May 2017
Tim Kemper
Global Operations Director,
OFO Division