Crude castor oil
Crude castor oil is the vegetable oil extracted from seeds of castor plants (castor beans). Castor, which can be used as biodiesel, is considered to be one of the most promising non-edible oil crops.
- Its unique versatility allows the castor oil to be used in industrial applications such as paints, coatings, inks, and lubricants.
- Castor oil is used commercially as a highly renewable resource for the chemical industry.
- Castor oil is also largely used for developing low pour point lubricant base stocks.
- Its excellent potential serves as a smoke pollution reducer when introduced into lubricants during production.
Castor oil extraction process
- The first step in the oil extraction process is known as pre-pressing. This process is commonly carried out under high pressure using a screw press called oil mill or oil expeller.
- Extracted castor oil is filtered and the waste separated from the oil. It is thereafter taken back to the stream together with fresh material.
- The final product produced from the oil mill press is castor cake.
- Castor cake has about 10% oil hence the cake is further crushed and moved to the solvent extraction to further oil.
Refining process
- Degumming is the first step in the castor oil refining process. It is the reduction of phosphatides (lecithin, cephalin, phosphatidate) and the metal content of the crude oil.
- Water degumming, acid degumming, and enzymatic degumming have to be performed for efficient removal of these phosphatides.
- It is important to remove the high free fatty acid (FFA) content from the castor oil in order to produce high-quality castor oil. This process of removal of FFA from the degummed oil is known as neutralization.
- Bleaching is the method used in removing colored pigments and the remaining phospholipids. It is done using activated earth under moderate vacuum conditions between 50 and 100 mmHg.
- Deodorization is a vacuum steam distillation process that excludes the relatively volatile components that cause undesirable flavors, odors, and colors in fats and oils.
Offtakers of castor oil
Castor oil is a highly viable material used in cosmetics, medicals, manufacturing of paints, coatings, inks, lubricants, perfumes, soaps, amongst others.
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