Palm Oil Production Process
Palm oil production process
The palm flesh is boiled, crushed and pressed to obtain crude palm oil (CPO) and palm meal (PE): the kernel is separated from the palm tree during the crushing process. After crushing and removal of the husk, the remaining kernels are extracted to obtain gross palm oil (CPKO) and palm kernel meal (PKE).
The oil fruit contains two different oils, palm oil from the pulp and palm kernel oil from the kernels, the former being the more important of the two. All of these products are effectively used in food, chemical and agricultural applications. It can be said that palm is a good economic type of plant.
After the primary stage of extraction as described above, the crude palm oil and the crude palm kernel oil are sent to refineries for refining and after removing free fatty acids, natural pigments, and odor, they become salad grade oils - refined palm oil (RBD PO) and palm kernel (RBD PK0). The refined palm oil is nearly colorless and transparent in the liquid state and nearly white in the solid state. In addition, depending on the needs of different users, palm oil can be further fractionated and processed to form palm oleic acid (PFAD), palm liquid oil (abbreviated as 0LEAN), and palm stearin (abbreviated as STEARIN or ST). The palm fruit contains more lipolytic enzymes, so the harvested fruit must be processed or killed in time. The palm gross oil is easily hydrolyzed by itself and generates more free fatty acids, and the acid value grows rapidly, so it should be refined or fractionated in time.
Palm oil is rich in carotene (0.05%-0. 2), deep orange-red, this pigment can not be effectively removed by alkali refining, through the oxidation of the oil color can be removed to the general light yellow, in the role of sunlight and air, will also gradually decolorization. It is semi-solid at room temperature (27-30°). Its consistency and melting point depend to a large extent on the content of free fatty acids. Palm oil with a low FFA content is called soft oil in the international market. Palm oil with a high FFA content is called hard oil.
