Vegetable oil extraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9371502-B2
Application number	US-201214125081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2012
Priority date	Jun 9, 2011
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A method of extracting recovering oil from vegetable material in which oil bearing material is heated and subjected to sonication at least one frequency above 400 kHz, removing a first yield of oil by decanting and subjecting the retained material to centrifugal separation to separate out a second yield of oil. Preferably the raw vegetable material is passed through a screw press and the obtained material is heated and subjected to the ultrasonic treatment and then allowed to settle for a predetermined period before decanting the oil layer. Preferably two frequencies above 400 kHz are used, one below 1 MHz and the second from 1 MHz. There are many potential transducers arrangements possible for producing standing waves.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of extracting oil from a premacerated oil-bearing material, the method comprises the steps of:
a) subjecting the premacerated oil-bearing material to at least one sonication step, wherein at least one plate transducer emitting a frequency of at least 400 kHz is employed to create a standing wave in the premacerated material;
b) separating the premacerated material into components to form a first oil phase and a retained material phase;
c) removing the first oil phase;
d) optionally subjecting the retained material phase to at least a second sonication step and removing a second oil phase.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least two plate transducers are used during the sonication step.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least two plate transducers emit at different sonication frequencies.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein two sonication frequencies are used one being up to 1 MHz and the other being above 1 MHz.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during step (a) the premacerated material is heated to a temperature of between 0° C. to 90° C.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein during step (a) the premacerated material is heated to a temperature of between 40 to 85° C.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein during step (a) the premacerated material is heated to a temperature of between 55 to 65° C.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising subjecting the retained material phase to a centrifugal separation to obtain a further yield of oil.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the premacerated material is selected from a group consisting of fruit, vegetables, cereals, grasses, seeds, and mixtures thereof.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the fruit is derived from an oil palm tree.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is a continuous method.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a sound pressure level applied to the premacerated oil-bearing material is between about 1 to about 260 dB.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the sound pressure level is between 180 and 240 dB (related to a reference sound pressure amplitude of 10 −6 Pa).

14. The method according to claim 4 , wherein high frequency plate transducers are mounted outside of a vessel with its active face in contact with the oil material.

15. The method according to claim 2 , wherein during step (a) the premacerated material is heated to a temperature of between 0° C. to 90° C.

16. The method according to claim 3 , wherein during step (a) the premacerated material is heated to a temperature of between 0° C. to 90° C.

17. The method according to claim 4 , wherein during step (a) the premacerated material is heated to a temperature of between 0° C. to 90° C.

18. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising subjecting the retained material phase to a centrifugal separation to obtain a further yield of oil.

19. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the premacerated material is selected from a group consisting of fruit, vegetables, cereals, grasses, seeds, and mixtures thereof.

Assignees

• Augustin Mary Ann
• Juliano Pablo
• Mawson Raymond
• Swiergon Piotr
• Knoerzer Kai
• Commw Scient Ind Res Org

Inventors

• Augustin Mary Ann
• Juliano Pablo
• Mawson Raymond
• Swiergon Piotr
• Knoerzer Kai

Classifications

• C11B1/04

  of vegetable raw material {(C11B1/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A23L5/32

  using phonon wave energy, e.g. sound or ultrasonic waves · CPC title

• B01D11/0265 Primary

  Applying ultrasound · CPC title

• C11B1/106 Primary

  using ultra-sounds · CPC title

• C11B1/102

  in counter-current; utilisation of an equipment wherein the material is conveyed by a screw · CPC title