US 4,599,143 A · Process for deodorizing and/or physical refining of high-boiling organic edible oils, fats and esters

Abstract

The deodorization and/or physical refining of high-boiling organic edible oils, fats and esters is carried out according to the principle of continuous counter-current falling film stripping steam distillation in an internally imposed temperature field in at least two different zones having different flow conditions for the liquid film and the vapors, respectively, prevailing therein. In the initial zone 10 directly adjacent the liquid charge and ensuring at least two separation stages the vapors flow through trickle passages having a hydraulic equivalent diameter of 73 to 150 mm. If necessary, this initial zone may be subdivided, wherein in the first sub-zone the trickle passages are provided with hydraulic equivalent diameters of 120 to 150 mm and in the second sub-zone the trickle passages are provided with hydraulic equivalent diameters of 73 to 120 mm. In the final zone 22 ensuring six to eight theoretical separation stages the vapors flow through trickle passages having a hydraulic equivalent diameter of 25 to 33 mm. The resultant pressure drop through all zones is less than 2 mbar, which leads to a particularly low requirement of stripping steam. If required, a flash vessel 46 may be disposed between the high temperature heat exchanger 9 and the falling film column 10, in which flash vessel the crude cocoa butter heated to the working temperature is subjected to a flash treatment at substantially the working pressure in the falling film column 10.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A process for removing lower boiling components from at least one liquid member selected from the group of high-boiling, organic, edible oils;

high-boiling, organic, edible fats;
high-boiling, organic, edible esters;
or mixtures thereof;
employing continuous countercurrent falling film stripping steam distillation in an externally imposed termperature field, which comprises heating said liquid member to 220.degree. to 280.degree. C., at a working pressure between 2 and 10 mbar, causing said liquid member at 220.degree. to 280.degree. C. and said working pressure to flow down as a thin film having a film thickness of less than 1.0 mm at the wall of substantially vertically arranged surfaces forming trickle passages maintaining at least a part of said passages at a higher termperature than the downflowing liquid, and passing a vapor of a low-molecular weight liquid countercurrently to said liquid through said trickle passages;
which comprises providing at least two countercurrent falling film stripping steam distillation zones operating in series and being in vapor and liquid communication with each other and providing an unrestricted vapor flow connection and wherein the hydraulic equivalent diameters of the trickle passages in the final distillation zone downstream in the direction of the downflowing liquid are smaller than the hydraulic equivalent diameters of the trickle passages of the initial zone(s) located upstream of said final distillation zone;
and supplying stripping steam exclusively to the bottom of said final distillation zone.

3 more elements

A process for removing lower boiling components from at least one liquid member selected from the group of high-boiling, organic, edible oils;

high-boiling, organic, edible fats;
high-boiling, organic, edible esters;
or mixtures thereof;
empolying continuous countercurrent falling film stripping steam distillation in an externally imposed temperature field, which comprises heating said liquid member to 220.degree. to 280.degree. C., at a working pressure between 2 and 10 mbar, causing said liquid member at 220.degree. to 280.degree. C. and said working pressure to flow down as a thin film having a film thickness of less than 1.0 mm at the wall of substantially vertically arranged surfaces forming trickle passages, maintaining at least a part of said passages at a higher temperature than the downflowing liquid, and passing a vapor of a low-molecular weight liquid countercurrently to said liquid through these trickle passages, which comprises providing at least two countercurrent falling film stripping steam distillation zones operating in series and being in vapor and liquid communication with each other and providing an unrestricted vapor flow connection and providing at least two theorentical separation stages in the initial zone thereof directly adjacent the liquid charge;
flowing the vapors through trickle passages having a hydraulic equivalent diameter of 73 to 150 mm in said initial zone;
providing at least six theoretical separation stages in the final zone operating downstream of said initial zone;
flowing the vapors through trickle passages having a hydraulic equivalent diameter of 25 to 33 mm;
and supplying stripping steam exclusively to the bottom of the final zone.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Process for deodorizing and/or physical refining of high-boiling organic edible oils, fats and esters

Life of this patent

Process for deodorizing and/or physical refining of high-boiling organic edible oils, fats and esters

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims37