Method for processing vegetable oils

A method of processing a triglyceride-containing oil, comprising:

• bleaching the oil to yield a bleached oil comprising glycerides and a volatilizable impurity fraction;
• deodorizing the bleached oil to yield a deodorized oil and a first volatiles stream, the first volatiles stream comprising a portion of the glycerides and a majority of the volatilizable impurity fraction;
• and
• partially condensing the first volatiles stream to yield a glyceride-rich first condensate and a glyceride-poor second volatiles stream, the second volatiles stream comprising the majority of the volatilizable impurity fraction.

A method of processing an oil comprising desirable components and volatilizable impurities, comprising:

• introducing the oil into a vessel maintained at a pressure of no greater than 10 mm Hg and contacting the oil with steam in the vessel to volatilize a substantial fraction of the impurities and a minor fraction of the desirable components into a volatiles stream, leaving a processed oil;
• passing the volatiles stream into a recovery condenser maintained at a pressure of no greater than 10 mm Hg and partially cooling the volatiles stream to preferentially condense a substantial fraction of the desirable compounds into a recovered fluid, leaving a byproduct stream comprising a substantial fraction of the impurities in the volatiles stream, the volatiles stream being contacted with a portion of the recovered fluid to cool the volatiles stream;
• and
• passing the byproduct stream into a byproduct condenser maintained at a pressure of less than 10 mm Hg and further cooling the byproduct stream to condense a majority of the remaining impurities into a byproduct fluid.

A method of processing a partially processed oil including glycerides and a volatilizable impurity fraction, the method comprising:

• driving off a first volatiles stream from the partially processed oil in a first deodorizing segment, the first volatiles stream comprising a portion of the glycerides and a first portion of the volatilizable impurity fraction;
• cooling the first volatiles stream to condense a first recovered fluid;
• driving off a second volatiles stream from the partially processed oil in a second deodorizing segment, the second volatiles stream comprising a portion of the glycerides and a second portion of the volatilizable impurity fraction, the first and second portions together comprising a substantial fraction of the volatilizable impurity fraction;
• and
• cooling the second volatiles stream to condense a glyceride-rich, impurity-poor second recovered fluid and leaving a glyceride-poor, impurity-rich byproduct stream.