Method for removing phospholipids from vegetable oil miscella, method for conditioning a polymeric microfiltration membrane, and membrane

A method for removing phospholipids from vegetable oil miscella, the method comprising steps of:

• (a) feeding vegetable oil miscella to a membrane for recovery of a permeate stream and a retentate stream, wherein said miscella comprises extraction solvent and crude vegetable oil containing phospholipids, and said membrane comprises a polymeric microfiltration membrane conditioned for selective separation of phospholipids from said miscella to provide a permeate stream having decreased weight percent of phospholipids compared with the weight percent of phospholipids provided in said miscella;
• the polymeric microfiltration membrane being conditioned by a three step conditioning sequence comprising:
• (i) treating the microfilter with intermediate solvent, the intermediate solvent comprising an alcohol, acetone, or a combination thereof;
• and
• (ii) treating the microfilter with a mixture of the intermediate solvent and extraction solvent, the extraction solvent comprising hydrocarbon, ester, halohydrocarbon, or a combination thereof;
• and
• (iii) treating the microfilter with the extraction solvent;
• (b) recovering said permeate stream having decreased weight percent of phospholipids compared with the weight percent of phospholipids provided in said miscella.