1. Use of Nano Reactors in Edible Oil Processing
102nd AOCS Annual Meeting
May 1-4, 2011
Cincinnati, OH
Use of Nano Reactors
in Edible Oil Processing
Wim De Greyt1, Marc Kellens1,Tim Kemper2 and Jim Willits2
1Desmet Ballestra Group, Zaventem, Belgium;
2Desmet Ballestra North America, Marrietta, GA 1

2. Refiner’s Challenge EFFICIENCY QUALITY SUSTAINABILITY REFINING
CONDITIONS
REFINING
TECHNOLOGY
QUALITY
SUSTAINABILITY

3. Alkali Neutralisation Physical deacidification Deodorizer Distillate
Oil Refining Processes
OILSEEDS
Mechanical Pressing
Oil Extraction
Deoiled Meal
Solvent extraction
Crude Oil
Water degumming
Gums
LECITHIN
Chemical
Physical
WDG Oil
Alkali Neutralisation
Acid degumming
Soapstock
Acid Gums
Bleaching
Spent
bleaching earth
Bleaching
Physical deacidification
Deodorization
Deodorizer Distillate
Deodorization
Refined Oil

4. Alkali Neutralisation Physical deacidification Deodorizer Distillate
Oil Refining Processes
OILSEEDS
Mechanical Pressing
Oil Extraction
Deoiled Meal
Solvent extraction
Crude Oil
Water degumming
Gums
LECITHIN
Chemical
Physical
WDG Oil
Alkali Neutralisation
Acid degumming
Soapstock
Acid Gums
Bleaching
Spent
bleaching earth
Bleaching
Physical deacidification
Deodorization
Deodorizer Distillate
Deodorization
Refined Oil

5. Oil Refining Processes
OILSEEDS
Mechanical Pressing
Oil Extraction
Deoiled Meal
Solvent extraction
Crude Oil
Developments in Wet oil pretreatment
Water degumming
Gums
LECITHIN
WDG Oil
Acid degumming
Soapstock
Alkali Neutralisation
Acid Gums
Bleaching
Spent
bleaching earth
Bleaching
Physical deacidification
Deodorization
Deodorizer Distillate
Deodorization
Refined Oil

6. Developments in degumming
Enzymatic Degumming
* PL-C on high PL-containing crude oils (RSO, SBO)
* PL-A on crude/WDG oils
Main driver
Higher Oil Yield
soya
rape

7. More intensive mixing requiring higher energy input
Alkali Neutralisation - Degumming
MORE EFFICIENT GUMS/FFA REMOVAL
Using less chemicals
Trend towards more intensive mixing
Static Dynamic High Shear Ultra High Shear
(single stage) (multi-stage)
Silverson
IKA
More intensive mixing requiring higher energy input
How to improve efficiency further ?

8. Generation, growth and collapse of bubbles
Nano Reactors
Nano Reactors
Generation, growth and collapse of bubbles
Release of large magnitudes of energy over small location
(high energy density)
Locally very high temp/pressure with overall ambient
conditions
‘Mechanical’ Effects
*High turbulence
*High shear forces
*Fine emulsions
‘Chemical’ Effects
*Fragmenting of molecules
*Formation of radicals

9. Can Nano Reactors be applied in Oil Processing ?
POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS OF NANO REACTORS
Process intensification (faster-higher yield-more selective)
Cell disruption (biotechnology)
Microbial disinfection/destruction contaminants
Many other specific applications
Can Nano Reactors be applied in Oil Processing ?
Ref : Gogate – Chemical Engineering and Processing 47 (2008),

10. Acoustic Process ACOUSTIC PROCESS (SONOCHEMISTRY)
*No industrial application due to inherent drawbacks
* Effect depends on distance from source (not uniform)
* Batch process, not suitable for large scale processing
* High energy requirement
* Generated by Ultrasound waves
*Tested successfully for degumming
Moulton and Mounts (1999)
> 90 % PL removal

11. Typical velocity and pressure profile in a hydrodynamic Nano reactor
Hydrodynamic Nano Reactors
HYDRODYNAMIC NANO REACTORS
* Less studied than ultrasound process
* Generated by passage of a liquid through a constriction
* Much more energy efficient than acoustic process
* Suitable for larger scale, continuous processes
Typical velocity and pressure profile in a hydrodynamic Nano reactor

12. Proprietary design of CTI
Nano-Reactors
NANO-REACTORS
* Unique internal geometry
* Generation of very small ‘nano’ bubbles
in liquid streams
* Liquids (homogeneous/heterogeneous)
are fed to nano-reactor with HP pump
* Mechanical and chemical effects
- Formation of very fine emulsions
- Increased surface area
- Strong shear forces
- Activation of atoms, molecules
- Formation of radicals
- Initiation of chemical reactions
* Reactor, more than just a good mixer
Proprietary design of CTI

13. Nano-NeutralisationTM
Standard
Neutralisation
Nano-
Neutralisation
NaOH
Nano-
reactor

14. Nano-NeutralisationTM
- Patent pending technology
- Add-on process to existing oil refinery
neutralisation system
- Process benefits (industrial proven)
No addition of H3PO4 (NHP converted in HP in nano-reactor)
No acid retention tank
Less NaOH required (no need for H3PO4 neutralisation)
Less soaps in nano-neutralized oil reducing need for silica
or wash water
Improved oil yield due to improved separation of soapstock
(Less neutral oil/no salts in soapstock) 14

15. Nano-NeutralisationTM
Industrial plant : 500 TPD 15

16. Water-degummed soybean oil Classical caustic refining
Nano-NeutralisationTM
500 TPD Nano-neutralisation of soybean oil
Industrial data
Feedstock
Water-degummed soybean oil
( ppm P; % FFA)
Nano-neutralization
Classical caustic refining
Process parameters
Phosphoric acid (ppm)
NaOH (% 16.6 °Be)
-Pressure (bar)
-Temperature (°C)
0-100
0.7 60 75
1.2
Refined Oil Quality
P-content (ppm)
Ca & Mg (ppm)
FFA (%)
Soaps (ppm)
1-3
< 1
< 0.03
< 100
6-8
< 0.05 16

17. Nano-NeutralisationTM
Industrial plant : 500 TPD
Proven Process Advantages
90% less phosphoric acid
40-50% less caustic soda
min. 0.2% extra refined oil yield
less silica consumption 17

18. Still in testing phase, not proven yet
Other possible applications
1. Nano-degumming of crude/WDG oils
Deep degumming to allow physical refining
2. Nano-degumming of palm oil
Replacing the ‘dry’ phosphoric acid degumming
Also suitable in biodiesel feedstock pretreatment
3. Enzyme assisted nano-degumming
Still in testing phase, not proven yet

19. Summary - Conclusions
* Efficiency, Quality and Sustainability are key criteria
for new/improved processes in edible oil refining
* Enzymatic degumming meets all these criteria and
is therefore being applied more
* Hydrodynamic Nano Reactors is interesting technology for edible oil refining
* Nano-neutralisation is being implemented on
industrial scale
* Nano-degumming (in combination with enzymes) is
tested on lab/pilot scale

20. Thank You For Your Attention
102nd AOCS Annual Meeting
May 1-4, 2011
Cincinnati, OH
Thank You For Your Attention
Wim De Greyt1, Marc Kellens1,Tim Kemper2 and Jim Willits2
1Desmet Ballestra Group, Zaventem, Belgium;
2Desmet Ballestra North America, Marrietta, GA 20