Move up a gear in fats modification

Alfa Laval processes for modifying edible oils and fats

Aiming at new horizons

If you’re in the business of modifying oils into fats for the foodindustry, the key to success lies in providing your customerswith high-quality products that meet their requirementsperfectly – even at short notice.

Naturally, you also want to ensure that your processingoperations remain safe while at the same timeadding maximum value to your raw materials.

Alfa Laval provides you with the fatsmodification solutions you need tomove up the value chain – safely and surely.

Fats modification 3

The benefits of fats modification

Fats modification processes open newdoors so that you can offer moreproducts, reach new customer groupsand harvest greater revenue for yourbusiness.

There are also strategic advantages tobe gained from modifying these fats. Amove from the basic processing of bulkoils and fats enables you to focus on awider market spread.

This in turn strengthens yourcompany’s ability to deal with theeffects of seasonal demand, individualmarket fluctuations and the worldwidecommoditization of basic agriculturalproducts.

Opportunities aboundSo if you’re looking for opportunities to� branch out into more products withhigher value

� acquire new customers� forge new forms of customerrelationships

� enter into new supply chains� move further up the value chaininstalling Alfa Laval fats modificationequipment provides you with a low-risk path into a world of newopportunities.

The Alfa Laval approach providesflexible solutions that enable you torapidly, efficiently and safely varyproduction to meet changes in yourcustomers’ requirements andspecifications.

Feedstock

Fractionation HydrogenationInteresterificationChemical / enzymatic

Alternatives in fats modificationDepending on the products yourcustomers are interested in and theraw materials you have available, youcan choose between several differentAlfa Laval solutions, or a combinationof these.

If your feedstock stems from palm oilor animal fats, there is a direct, naturalway to modify it to ensure that itacquires greater value. By separatingthe feedstock into liquid and solidfractions, or by combining differentfractions, you can create products thatmatch your customers’ exactspecifications.

4 Fats modification

Crystallizers

Filter press

Stearin tank

Olein tank

Wash olein tank

Heater

Oil in

Coolingwater out

Chiller water in

Chiller water out

Coolingwater in

Oil tofeed tank

Stearin to storage

Olein

To filter pressduring washing

Steam

Coreblowtank

Chilledwatertank

Steam

Steam

Compressed air

Steam

Fractionation

Gearing up naturallyThe natural way to modify oils and fats

Fractionation consists of gently coolingoils or fats in an accurately controlledprocess, making it possible tocrystallize the hard fat content.

In dry fractionation, the fat is kept at atemperature at which it is in a partiallyliquid form. The crystals are thenseparated from the liquid fraction by

membrane filtration. The result is twodistinct products with different physicalproperties and melting points.

This can be achieved with absolutelyno chemical modification, making thisthe “natural” way to produce hard fats.

A diagram of the dry fractionation process

� high yields – efficient crystallizationand accurate process control resultin good separation of the liquid andhard phases as well as ensuringgreater yields and higher profitability.

� practical design – Alfa Lavalequipment is designed to bestraightforward, practical and easyfor you to install, operate, clean andmaintain.

� plant control – the system is availablewith different levels of automation, tosuit your particular requirements.The combination of automation andthe closed loop cooling systemmakes it possible to achieve avirtually unlimited range of differentcooling curves.

Fats modification 5

Taking dry fractionation still furtherThe Alfa Laval dry fractionation plant atthe palm oil refinery run byIOI Edible Oils features six crystallizersand one filter press. Here, dryfractionation is more than just a way ofproducing cooking oil. Advanced PLCsystems have been added for efficientcontrol and top-quality results.

“Alfa Laval has simplified dryfractionation into a process that is easyfor the operator to interface, and thustransformed the technology,” statesKenny Liew, Deputy Plant Manager forIOI Edible Oils Sdn Bhd in Malaysia.

The Alfa Laval advantageAlfa Laval crystallization and filtrationequipment for fats modificationprocesses features� upward flexibility – the modulardesign makes it possible to increaseproduction capacity to keep pacewith demand, by adding morecrystallizers and extending filtercapacity.

� excellence in process andengineering solutions – by designingand specifying the most suitable keycomponents, such as crystallizers,membrane filters, pumps andinstruments, the Alfa Laval systemensures high process efficiency.

� highly effective crystallizer design –using the best vessel engineeringdesign, construction materials,surface finishing, design of thecooling coils and agitation thatproduce crystallized slurry ideallysuited for membrane filtration.

Oil in- and outlet

Cooling water outlet

Cooling water intlet

Alfa Laval crystallizer

Slope oil

Cyclone

Filter

Filtercake

Compressed air

Vacuum

Flashtank

Heater

Drop tank

Reactor

Intermediatetank

Economizer

SteamSteam

Water

Steam

Oil in

Hydrogen

Vacuum

Vacuum

VacuumCitric acid system

Filter aid Bleaching earth

Filter

Slope oil

Cyclone

Final cooler

Post-treatmentsystem

Compressed air

Steam

Cooling water

Oil out

VacuumCatalyst

tank

Feed tank

Steam

Hydrogenation

6 Fats modification

Many routes to results

Essentially, this process consists ofbubbling hydrogen gas through theoils, normally at temperatures of150–200°C (302–392°F), underpressure, and in the presence of acatalyst. This adds the hydrogen atomsto the double bonds of unsaturatedfatty acids, to either reduce them or toproduce fully saturated fats.

Hydrogenation raises the melting pointof oils and fats, and improves a rangeof other properties, including taste andkeeping qualities.

The diagrams above and to the leftshow two alternative systems thatAlfa Laval provides for catalyst removal,based on filtration and continuouscentrifugal separation.

The versatile way to modify fatsOils and fats from virtually all kinds ofraw materials and ingredients can bemodified into hard fats by altering theirmolecular structure.

This is done by hydrogenation – thename given to the process in whichhydrogen is chemically combined withunsaturated oils and fats, by making itlink up with the double bonds of theunsaturated fatty acid chains.

A diagram of the hydrogenation process

Fats modification 7

The Alfa Laval advantageAlfa Laval hydrogenation equipmentfeatures� low production costs, due to- high heat recovery using efficienttypes of heat exchangers that heatthe incoming oil and cool thehydrogenated product at thesame time.- full energy recovery from theexothermic reaction, using a closedloop cooling system.- use of exactly the right quantities ofhydrogen – special agitationtechniques ensure that most of thehydrogen is incorporated into the oilbefore it reaches the reactor headspace. Vortices on the surface of theoil also force the hydrogen in thehead space back into the oil.- the low speed/high flow agitation,which ensures good catalystdistribution and contact with the oil.The filtration rate is improved, as thecatalyst is not converted to colloidalform.- the use of a closed loop coolingsystem and natural recirculation toreduce the temperature approachbetween oil and water. This avoidswater hammer effect and improvestemperature control.

Catalyst

Vacuum

Oil

Oil outlet

Hydrogen

Cooling water outlet

Cooling waterinlet

� high flexibility, due to- a wide range of operatingparameters including hydrogen flowrate and pressure, reactiontemperature, degree of agitation andamount of catalyst. These make itpossible to produce saturated orpartially hydrogenated fats with manydifferent specifications.- variable batch size.- a wide range of plant capacities.- feed and drop tanks that increaseproduction and allow heat recovery.- reduced oil volume in the heatexchangers. This makes stockchanges easier and reducescontamination.

� high degree of safety, due to- explosion-proof design becausethe hydrogen is kept within thereactor.- special seals with leakage detector.

Alfa Laval spiral heat exchanger

AlfaRex® economizer

Unlimited flexibilityThe Alfa Laval hydrogenation plantsupplied to CALSA features a feed, adrop tank and a dead-end reactor.

Heat recovery is done by a highlyefficient AlfaRex TM20 plate heatexchanger. Catalyst removal isundertaken in two steps, using directfiltration followed by a post-treatmentsystem.

The plant is fully automatic, controlledby a PLC unit.“Alfa Laval supplied us with a highlyefficient plant, with the lowestproduction costs in terms of energy,hydrogen and catalyst consumption. Itgives us unlimited flexibility to produceany type of fats we want”, statesMr Alejandro Murillo, plant manager ofCALSA – Cia Argentina de LevadurasS.A.I.C. – Argentina.

Alfa Laval reactor

Vacuum

Vacuum

Filter

Cyclone

Polishingfilter

Oil cooler

Filter

Post-treatmentsystem

Catalyst handling unit

Citric acidsystem

Bleachingearth

Catalyst

Compressed air

Steam

Steam

Filtercake

Slope oil

Cooling water

Oil out

Oil in

Interesterification

As an alternative, the catalyst can bedeactivated with water in the washingtank. The soap generated in thisprocess is removed using a disc stackcentrifuge. The oil is then dried andsent to the post-treatment stage.

Interesterification does not affect thedegree of saturation of the fat, nor thelocation of the cis/trans chemicalbonds. It is largely done to control theconsistency of the oil or fat at differenttemperatures, a parameter that iscrucial for your customers in the foodindustry.

8 Fats modification Alfa Laval – Plate heater technology 13

The necessary detour

When you want to combine an efficient,flexible production set-up with the abilityto satisfy your customers’ manyconstantly changing demands,interesterification is an alternative answer.

By combining different oils and fats,interesterification makes it possible toproduce hard fats from a wide range ofraw materials – and in a way thatconforms to modern market demands.

Traditional interesterification is carried outby using a chemical catalyst (normally

sodium methylate) to bring about aregrouping of the position of the fattyacids on the basic glycerol molecule.

The mixture of oils and fats is pumpedfrom the mixing tank to a steam heaterand then to the reactor under vacuumfor drying. To improve drying efficiency,the oil is pumped through a recirculationsection.After drying the oil, a catalyst isintroduced into the oil recirculationstream, using the special catalyst dosingdevice. When the catalyst reaction is

completed, the oil is discharged to thepost-treatment reactor. Here, the catalystis deactivated with acid and the oil istreated using bleaching earth.

A diagram of the interesterification process (catalyst deactivated with acid)

Vacuum

Process water

Catalyst handling unit

Citric acidsystem

Vacuumdryer

HeaterDisc stack centrifugeWashingtank

Oil in

Condensate

Steam

Steam

Vacuum

Vacuum

Steam

Processwater

Filter

Steam

Citric acid

Acidulation

Catalyst

Oil topost-treatment

Interesterification

The Alfa Laval advantageAlfa Laval interesterification equipmentused in fats modification processesincludes a specially designed catalysthandling system. This comprises� catalyst handling unit. This is ahermetically sealed handling unit inwhich the catalyst bags can bemanipulated with no direct contactbetween the product and the operator,thus ensuring a safe, inert environment.� catalyst dosing unit. This ensuresthat accurate amounts of the catalystare used, with no exposure to theatmosphere.� catalyst pre-mixer. To ensure thatthe catalyst powder is introduced to

Fats modification 9

the oil inside the vacuum reactor, thecatalyst is dosed in a blender where itis dissolved in the recirculation oilstream.� catalyst neutralizer. Two alternativesare available for catalyst neutralization –using acid or water.Other special Alfa Laval featuresinclude� oil conditioning. By recirculating thehot oil to the reactor under vacuum,the Alfa Laval system ensures that theoil has a low moisture content. Thisresults in the best possible catalystefficiency and consumption.� post-treatment equipment. Thisincludes the Alfa Laval hermetically

A diagram of the interesterification process (catalyst deactivated with water)

Alfa Laval disc stack centrifuge

sealed earth transportation and dosingsystem, and a post-treatment reactorwith steam or mechanical agitation,designed for continuous or batchoperation.Because of the design of thecomponents and the rigorousspecifications used, Alfa Lavalinteresterification equipment keepsthe consumption of energy and otherutilities to a minimum, resulting in loweroperating costs.

10 Fats modification

Make the right connections

Process know-howOne of the key advantages of workingwith Alfa Laval to install, update andextend your fats modification systemsis our extensive practical experience.

Alfa Laval’s proven ability to design andconfigure a wide range of processvariants to meet specific customerrequirements can provide you with thebenefits of a vast body of accumulatedknow-how.

Project implementationAlfa Laval has a specialist group whosesole focus is the design andengineering of fats and oils projects,with years of experience and anextensive, proven track record of plantsdesigned, installed and in operation.

The process and engineering team alsohas constant access to the mostrecent technologies and solutionsimplemented by Alfa Laval all over theworld. This means you benefit directlyfrom Alfa Laval’s renowned know-howin the fields of thermal engineering,separation technologies and fluidhandling, and from the latestbreakthroughs in other related industrialprocesses.

Engineering for automationThe automation of key plant operatingprocesses – either wholly or in part –makes it possible to achieve new levelsof flexibility when you need rapid,reliable resettings and adjustments tomeet new specifications. Alfa Laval canprovide you with the exact degree ofautomation you need to meet yourparticular requirements.

Alfa Laval provides a wide range ofeasy-to-operate control and monitoringsystems, which are also straightforwardto integrate into existing plant controlsystems.

Engineering servicesAlfa Laval provides a wide range ofsupplementary engineering servicesthat can help ensure that your newinstallation comes on line as rapidlyand efficiently as possible.

We can also provide you withconsiderable savings by ensuring fullcompliance with the relevant nationaland international regulations for designcodes, safety procedures and bestengineering practice.

Alfa Laval engineering services include� installation design in full accordancewith international standards

� installation supervision� commissioning and start-up� operator training� documentation� operational, maintenance and servicesupport.

Alfa Laval in briefAlfa Laval is a leading global provider ofspecialized products and engineeredsolutions. Our equipment, systems andservices are dedicated to helpingcustomers to optimize the performanceof their processes. Time andtime again.We help our customers to heat,

cool, separate and transport productssuch as oil, water, chemicals,beverages, foodstuffs, starch andpharmaceuticals.Our worldwide organization works

closely with customers in almost 100countries to help them stay ahead.

How to contact Alfa LavalUp-to-date Alfa Laval contact details forall countries are always available on ourwebsite at www.alfalaval.com

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