How is palm oil extracted from trees step by step?

Palm oil is an oil with a high oil content, about 46-50%, and can be easily squeezed to produce oil. Usually, extract palm oil through pressing, that is, the oil in the palm fruit is extracted through purely physical and mechanical extrusion. Better quality palm oil can be obtained through refining and fractionation.

The first step in palm oil extraction begins with the harvesting and transportation of palm fruit bunches. And then fresh palm fruit bunches are received and processed. Next, let's explore the step of palm oil extraction and some palm oil extraction equipment:

Palm fruits

Step1: Reception

Collect the ripe fresh palm fruit bunches from the plantation and transported by trucks, then pour the FFB into the discharge door after weighed by weighbridge. Start the control valve to open the gate of the discharge door, then the palm fruits falls into conveyor.

Palm fruit sterilizer

Step2: Sterilization

Steam into the sterilizer and steam the palm fruits at high temperature for about 60 min, to destroy the enzymes in the palm fruits and avoid the increase of FFA content in the palm oil. At the same time, the high temperature will be easier for palm fruit threshing and avoid the damage of palm nut.

Palm fruit thresher

Step3: Threshing

Following sterilization, the sterilized fruit bunches are fed into a palm fruits thresher, which separates the fruit from the bunch. This results in a mixture of palm fruits and empty fruit bunches. Empty palm fruit bunches are discharged from the other side of the thresher, and then the EFB is transported to the yard, or to palm plantation as fertilizer or slipcover.

Screw palm oil extraction equipment

Step4: Digesting&Extraction

Digesting is for crushing palm fruit, it can be make palm fruit be pressed oil out easily. The separated palm fruits are then processed for oil extraction. The fruits are initially pressed to extract the crude palm oil (CPO). This process separates the oil from the solid components, such as the palm kernel and fiber. The screw palm oil extraction equipment provided by Henan Glory Company with high oil rate and low loss.

Palm oil plate filter

Step5: Clarification

The extracted crude palm oil contains impurities and non-oil components. To remove these impurities, the CPO undergoes a process called clarification, which involves the use of centrifuges or settling tanks to separate the oil from the water and solids.

After the step of palm oil extraction. Better quality palm oil can be obtained through refining and fractionation. Next, I will introduce the step of further processing the extracted palm oil.

Degumming:

The crude palm oil is heated and mixed with water to remove gums and other impurities. This process helps improve the oil's stability and appearance.

Deacidification:

In this step, the oil is treated with an alkaline substance, such as sodium hydroxide, to neutralize any free fatty acids present. This neutralization process ensures the oil's suitability for various applications.

Decolorization:

The neutralized oil undergoes a bleaching process, which involves the addition of bleaching earth or activated carbon. This step helps remove pigments, residual impurities, and any undesirable odors, resulting in a clear and odorless oil.

Deodorization:

To eliminate volatile compounds and further enhance the oil's sensory properties, deodorization takes place. The oil is heated under vacuum conditions, and steam is passed through it to remove any remaining odors and flavors.

Palm oil refining equipment

Palm oil fractionation:

Fractionation is an additional step used to modify the physical characteristics of palm oil, making it suitable for various applications. Here's an overview of the fractionation process: The refined oil is chilled to a specific temperature, causing it to solidify and form crystals. This process is known as cooling and crystallization.

The above are the steps of palm oil extraction. Henan Glory Company is a manufacturer with more than ten years of history specializing in the production and processing of palm oil and palm kernel oil equipment. In addition, we are building our own factory and office in Nigeria. If there are Nigerian customers ordering palm oil extraction equipment from local factories in Nigeria, it will be more favorable.