Palm kernel is the product of palm oil mills, which have a recovery efficiency of about 6 to 7% of the FFB processed. Currently, the seed is processed to extract the oil by pressing. In this process the quality of oil as well as the efficiency of extraction is limited. Mecpro has proposed a new method of direct solvent extraction using an extruder to extract the optimum quantum of oil with better quality and improved protein level in the de-oiled meal.
PRESENT PROCESS ADOPTED:-
Based on 300 TPD process 15.5 MT oil /day losses in the process with de-oiled meal.
Based on 300 TPD process 15.5 MT oil /day losses in the process with de-oiled meal.
UTILITIES
Palm kernel can be processed by different methods
- Mechanical extraction
- Solvent extraction
- Mechanical with solvent extraction
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
The quality produced using the solvent extraction method is superior to mechanical extraction and will therefore enhance the profitability in processing of palm kernel. Further processing of the oil will reduce the chemical and energy consumption in the process. Since the protein value is high in the de-oiled meal and lauric acid is minimized in the de-oiled meal, it is suitable for making various product other than cattle feed.
IN KERNEL PRETREATMENT
Palm Kernel pretreatment is essential for efficient extraction of oil from the palm kernels. Magnetic separators are used to remove the metal debris, while vibrating screens are used to sieve sand, stones or other undesirable materials, which also help to increase the protein in the meal.
Solvent extraction processing can be divided into three main operations:
- Kernel pre-treatment
- Oil extraction
- Solvent recovery from the oil and meal
Above 25 TPD plants, the solvent extraction process is an alternative to mechanical palm kernel extraction. One of its main advantages is that in the rainy season, due to high moisture, mechanical press extraction will not result in sufficient oil recovery, whereas solvent extraction will give optimum results.
In pre-treatment, the unbroken (nut with shell) seeds are separated and recycled after cracking the nuts open. The hulls are separated in a gyratory separator to enrich the feedstock for better extraction and to get a quality product. Besides the shell, fibre and other unwanted material is removed in the process.
Solvent extraction is a highly cost effective process, and the capital investment can be recovered within a span of 1 to 3 year for a plant with a capacity of 300 TPD.