Degumming systems

Water degumming

This relatively simple, cost-effective process removes as much gum as possible in the pre-treatment stage. Gums removed here are generally dried to form lecithin, a valuable by-product; however, if preferred, the gums may instead be returned to the meal in the extraction plant.

Effective degumming means that less material needs to be removed downstream during neutralization. It also means there is less soapstock produced that require further treatment or disposal.

Enzymatic water degumming

To degum oils with high and very high phospholipid content, Alfa Laval recommends enzymatic water degumming. Here the phospholipase C enzyme (PLC) breaks down phospholipids into diacylglycerol (DAG) and a water-soluble, phosphate-bearing ester fragment, which reduces gum content, minimizes oil loss and increases neutral oil yield.

Enzymatic deep degumming

Pre-treatment of seed oils with a small amount of acid effectively removes gums to a sufficiently low level to enable further processing. The addition of diluted lye enables adjustment of the pH value prior to dosing an appropriate enzyme. The phospholipase A enzyme (PLA) converts both hydratable and nonhydratable gums into lyso-gums and free fatty acids. The lyso-gums are more hydrophilic, which makes them easier to remove from the oil during centrifugation. Moreover, enzymatic deep degumming significantly reduces the presence of chlorinated compounds, which contribute to the formation of 3-MCPD if not removed.

Acid degumming

By intensive mixing of a small amount of a citric acid and water at controlled temperatures, this animal fat refinement process enables the separation of gums, gum-like impurities and metals from selected animal fat.

Special degumming

Through the addition of a small amount of a suitable acid and diluted lye at carefully controlled temperatures, this physical seed oil refinement process enables the separation of both hydratable and nonhydratable gums from selected oils. The gums removed are highly viscous; however, Alfa Laval self-cleaning disc stack centrifuges equipped with special Centrizoom^TM paring disc outlets easily handle the task. The resulting oil quality makes further processing possible, except in the case of low-quality seed oils. To maintain the quality of the final product, these oils may require the full caustic neutralization to remove free fatty acids and residual gums or the Combi Mix process (see below).

Combi Mix process

This two-stage process provides the flexibility you need to process good quality seed oils that require physical refining as well as any lower-quality oils for which neutralization using caustic soda is the only viable way to remove impurities.

Choose from Alfa Laval’s comprehensive degumming systems, including special degumming, acid degumming, enzymatic degumming, and water degumming. Plus get expert advice on the system that best suits for your requirements.

What better way to minimize product loss and maximize the quality and yield of your edible oils? Whether phospholipids, proteins, carbohydrates, nitrogen compounds, chlorides (precursors of 3-MCPD), metals and insoluble impurities, you can be sure the Alfa Laval degumming process selected is up to the task.