What is fractional distillation of crude palm oil?

Palm oil fractionation is the process of further processing after refining. Palm oil fractionation mainly uses the difference in the melting points of olein and stearin to separate the oil in the two states. The operation process includes heating, crystallization and filtration. The equipment used in the palm oil fractionation process includes crystallization tanks and membrane filters. Next, I will give you a detailed introduction to the palm oil fractionation process.

Palm oil fractionation machine

Palm Oil Heating Process:

Before fractionation, the refined oil needs to be heated to 60+°C to turn the oil into a pure liquid state for the subsequent crystallization step.

Palm Oil Cooling and Crystallization Process:

After heating, the oil is pumped into the crystallization tank. A cooling coil is installed inside the crystallization tank. The cooling medium is chilled water and cooling water. First, use cooling water to indirectly cool the oil at 60+℃ to about 30-40℃, and then use chilled water (5℃ or 7℃) for secondary cooling to cool the oil temperature to our requirements. The entire cooling system is a circulation system. Cold water enters the crystallization tank, and hot water enters the cooling tower and refrigeration unit, which minimizes energy consumption and saves costs.

Palm Oil Filtration Process:

After the crystallization is completed, it enters the filtration section. We configure a screw pump to drive the mixture of olein and stearin into the filter. The filtered olein is driven into the oil storage tank by the oil pump, and the stearin falls directly into the bottom of the filter. Before recycling the stearin, the compressed air generated by the air compressor will blow away the soft olein, otherwise the discharged stearic acid glyceryl will contain a semi-solid fat mixture of oleic acid glyceryl. The filtered stearin is in a solid state, very hard and heavy. If it falls directly into the recovery tank, it will damage the palm oil fractionation machine.

Therefore, we will install flat steel sheets in the tank so that the stearin is broken into smaller pieces before it falls to the bottom of the tank. The pieces are broken to ensure the service life of the equipment to the greatest extent. There is a heating coil at the bottom of the solid fat recovery tank, which heats the collected stearin into a liquid state and pumps it into the stearin storage tank.

Palm oil fractionation plant

To help you visualize how these components—crystallization tank, screw pump, and filter—work together seamlessly in a compact system, we have prepared a 3D animation of our small-scale palm oil fractionation machine. This video demonstrates the entire process flow in a clear and intuitive manner:

In addition to the small palm oil fractionation process, Henan Glory Oil & Fats Engineering Co., Ltd., a member of Doing Holdings, is capable of designing and supplying palm oil fractionation machine with a daily processing capacity ranging from 1 ton to 1200 tons.

Moreover, we specialize in integrated engineering solutions for large-scale palm oil plants, including complete palm oil refining and fractionation systems with capacities such as 100 tons per day. These integrated production lines ensure high efficiency, product flexibility, and energy-saving performance.

For a clearer understanding, watch the 3D animation below showcasing our large-scale palm oil refining and fractionation plant in operation:

In summary, palm oil fractionation is a precise and energy-efficient process that unlocks greater value from crude palm oil by separating it into versatile olein and stearin. With a deep understanding of this technology and proven engineering expertise, Henan Glory is your reliable partner for designing and building efficient palm oil fractionation lines. Contact us today to discuss your project requirements.