Oiltek Sdn. Bhd. (Edible Oil Processing Specialist)

HYDROGENATION - Customised by Oiltek to Optimise your production of hard fats

No two Hydrogenation Plants designed by Oiltek are exactly the same. Although each is based on the same theory and principles, Oiltek will customised your individual plant to provide maximum productivity, quality and economy for your specific market, environment and product.

With a customised Oiltek Hydrogenation Plant you can ensure the quality of the hard fats your operation produces. This means you can give your end-users hard fats of the quality they need for formulating and processing food products like vegetable ghee, margerine, shortening, confectionery fats and other cooking fats.

HOW OILTEK'S HYDROGENATION PLANT WORKS

Before hydrogenation proper, Oiltek's system allows for oils and fats to be neutralised and bleached, removing traces of soap and impurities that may poison the metal catalyst. As each hydrogenated product requires a specific set of operating conditions, each Oiltek Plant permits fine calibration of all the variables: hydrogen pressure, hydrogen dosage, final reaction temperature, and degree of mixing.

Heat Recovery

Oiltek's heat recovery system incorporates a preheating stage to give you more economy, and ensure more precise control of the feedstock's temperature.

First the hot oil from the convertor is discharged into the drop tank equipped with both heating and cooling coils. The cold feedstock is then pumped through the heating coil to recover heat from the hot oil.

By using the heat generated in your plant more efficiently, this system allows you to maximise your saving in energy. In a plant without heat recovery, the entire heating is accomplished by the steam coil in the convertor, leading to higher costs for generating heat.

After preheating, the feedstock is at an optimum temperature for the actual heating process to begin. Heating commences with the introduction of steam into the convertor's closed heating coils. At the same time, the agitator is set in motion, and the vacuum pump creates a vacuum in the convertor.

Heating and deaeration are continued until all air and moisture have been removed from the feedstock. Now the hydrogenation process proper can begin.

Hydrogenation

A measured quantity of catalyst-in-oil is pumped into the convertor containing the fully deaerated and dried feedstock oil. Heating and agitation continue until the desired operating temperature is reached.

At this point, air evacuation is stopped; hydrogen gas is bubbled into the heated oil at a controlled rate and pressure. The amount of hydrogen required to reach the specifed IV is preset on the gas counter. The hydrogen pressure at the head space is controlled by a pressure controller. Meanwhile, the exothermic heat of reaction developed during the reaction between the oil and hydrogen is removed by water cooling, which is regulated by a temperature controller.

Final Steps

As the hardening process progresses, the hardened fat's melting point is tested continuously. When the final specified value is reached, the hydrogen feed is stopped. The convertor's content is dropped into a drop tank for heat recovery with the fresh feed, followed by water cooling to a safe temperature for filtration.

The hard fat is now pumped through a filter press to remove and recover the catalyst for re-use. Finally, a polishing filter eliminates the last traces of catalyst.

ADVANTAGES OF YOUR CUSTOMISED OILTEK HYDROGENATION PLANT

Simplicity of operation.
Process control is accurately monitored through ample instrumentation. Minimum reliance on staff operatives means the possibility of human error is reduced.
Precise control of reaction temperature, hydrogen gas, oil, and catalyst mixing enables selected characteristics to be repeated consistently in every batch.
Heat recovery system and minimum gas wastage ensure more economy.

HYDROGENATION PLANT

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