Lecithin
Gums (Lecithin) present in Vegetable Oils are valuable emulsifier and an additive in prepared foods. Hence, it may be profitable to recover them for sale to food companies. The degumming process described above produces a mixture of gums, oil, and water. The mixture of gums, oil, and water is introduced in a thin-film evaporator operating under vacuum to remove water. The resulting dry mixture of gums and oil is sold as crude dry gums or lecithin. The main design concerns are that the evaporation of water should be quick and take place under higher vacuum to prevent charring and discoloring of gums.
Soap-Splitting (Acidulation)
The caustic neutralization process described above produces Soap Stock—a mixture of Soaps (Fatty-Acid Salts), Oil, and Water. Soap Stock, by itself, is a low value by-product—usually a waste product. However, it contains considerable amount of Fatty Matter, which may be profitably recovered for sale as a higher-value product. This is accomplished by converting Soaps into Fatty Acids by reacting with an Acid. The resulting product is a mixture of Fatty Acids and Oil (commonly called Acid Oil). Here to find soap making machine.
Glycerolysis
The physical refining process described above produces Fatty Acid Distillate—a mixture of Fatty Acids and Oil. The value of the Distillate may be enhanced by converting Fatty Acids into Oils through Glycerolysis. This is accomplished by reacting Fatty Acids with Glycerin to produce Oil. The resulting product is dried to recover oil for sale as a higher-value product.