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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #143763
Title: SOLVENT EXTRACTION: SAFETY, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Author
item WAKELYN, PHILLIP - NAT'L. COTTON COUNCIL
item Wan, Peter

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2003
Publication Date: 8/1/2003
Citation: Wakelyn, P.J., Wan, P.J. SOLVENT EXTRACTION: SAFETY, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. In: Tzia, C., Liadakis, G., editors. Extraction Optimization in Food Engineering. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker. p. 391-427.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fats, which are solid at ambient temperature, and liquid oils are recovered from diverse biological sources by mechanical separation, solvent extraction, or a combination of the two methods. There are many physical and chemical differences between these diverse biological materials. However, the similarities are that oils (edible and industrial) and other useful materials (e.g., vitamins, nutraceuticals, fatty acids, phytosterols, etc.) can be extracted from these materials by mechanical pressing, solvent extracting, or a combination of pressing and solvent extraction. The preparation of the various materials to be extracted varies. Some need extensive cleaning, drying, fiber removal (cottonseed), dehulling, flaking, extruding, etc., all of which affect the solvent-substrate interaction and, therefore, the yield, composition, and quality of the oils and other materials obtained. While oil extraction has a long development history, the oil refining methods were largely introduced during the 20th century. Until the recent past, crude oil production and oil refining were two separate industries. However, during the last quarter of century shear economics and product synergy has caused both horizontal (merge of similar operations) and vertical integration (combination of different but related operations) of these businesses to occur. Now many companies do both crushing and various degrees of oil refining such as, water degumming, caustic refining, bleaching and even steam deodorizing. This paper provides an overview of the critical steps of the oil extraction and oil refining processes, using soybean and cottonseed as the examples.