Fractionation processes and devices for oils and fats
AssigneeDe Smet Engineering N.V.
InventorsMarc Kellens, Marc Hendrix
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Abstract
The invention provides operating the dry or solvent fractionation of oils and fats in a crystallizer comprising a crystallization vessel (1,2), an agitator, cooling means and a drive, wherein said drive provides said agitator with an oscillating motion, and/or a rotating motion around an axis, with the proviso that each point of said agitator moves at substantially the same linear speed. The invention also provides a crystallizer comprising a crystallization vessel (1,2) having a polygonal cross-section, an agitator and a drive, wherein said drive provides said agitator with an oscillating motion, and wherein said agitator is not inclined to the moving direction.
Claims34
A dry fractionation process for edible oils and fats comprising the steps of:
- a) melting the oil or fat to be fractionated;
- b) cooling the molten oil or fat in a crystallizer having a cooling means, said crystallizer comprising a crystallization vessel (1,2), an agitator or agitator assembly, and a drive, thereby generating a slurry of crystals in a mother liquor;
- and subsequently
- c) separating said crystals from said mother liquor,
- whereby said drive provides said agitator or agitator assembly with an oscillating motion and/or a rotating motion around an axis, with the proviso that each point of said agitator or agitator assembly moves at substantially the same linear speed
A crystallizer having a cooling means, said crystallizer comprising a crystallization vessel (1,2), an agitator or agitator assembly and a drive providing said agitator or agitator assembly with a rotating motion around an axis, and wherein each point of said agitator moves at substantially the same linear speed, and wherein said crystallization vessel (1,2) has a polygonal cross-section.
A crystallizer comprising a crystallization vessel (1,2) having a polygonal cross-section, an agitator or agitator assembly, and a drive, wherein said drive provides said agitator or agitator assembly with an oscillating motion, and wherein said agitator or agitator assembly is not inclined to the moving direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.