Corn Germ to Golden Oil: Complete Corn Oil Extraction & Refining Process

Corn oil is not extracted from whole corn kernels but rather from corn germ, which is why it is also known as corn germ oil. Corn oil is rich in various vitamins, minerals, and a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, primarily oleic acid and linoleic acid. It can help reduce serum cholesterol levels, prevent arteriosclerosis, and has certain auxiliary effects in preventing and treating the "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol) and their complications. Due to its high health value, corn oil enjoys reputations such as "healthy oil," "safe oil," and "longevity oil."

Corn oil is easily digested and absorbed by the human body and does not cause the side effects of excessive accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the body. Its nutritional and health benefits align with the pursuit of health and nutrition among modern consumers, making the market prospects for corn oil very broad. The processing of corn oil requires a complete set of corn oil processing equipment, including key machinery such as corn germ oil presses, corn oil extraction equipment, and corn oil refining equipment. The main processing steps are as follows:

First, harvested corn must be shelled to separate the kernels. The kernels are then processed to extract the germ using methods such as dry, wet, or semi-wet processes. The extracted corn germ undergoes cleaning, drying, softening, and cooking before moving to the next step.

Common extraction methods for corn oil include mechanical pressing with oil presses and solvent extraction with extraction equipment. The pressing method yields crude oil of high quality, with well-preserved nutrients and excellent flavor. However, the residual oil rate in the press cake is high, resulting in lower oil yield and higher production costs.

The solvent extraction method leaves minimal residual oil in the meal, achieving a higher oil yield. However, this process requires large-scale production, involves higher equipment costs, and the extracted crude oil may contain solvent residues, making its quality inferior to pressed crude oil.

Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of the extraction method used, the extracted corn oil must be refined using refining equipment to remove impurities, moisture, and harmful substances, ensuring the quality of the final product.

The refining process for corn germ oil is as follows:

Crude corn germ oil → water washing degumming → alkali refining deacidification → vacuum dehydration → decolorization → vacuum deodorization → filtration → refined corn oil.

The refining equipment removes impurities such as phospholipids, gum-soluble impurities, free fatty acids, and color pigments. Once the oil meets all the standards specified in the national criteria for corn oil, it is considered edible finished oil.

Using the pressing method to produce corn oil results in high-quality oil that is highly recognized by consumers. Additionally, the pressing production line offers flexible configuration, allowing it to be tailored to the client's production scale, thereby saving on equipment investment. The solvent extraction method, on the other hand, offers high production efficiency and a high degree of mechanization, making it suitable for large-scale production. However, due to the specific requirements of the solvent extraction process, the extraction workshop must meet higher standards, with tightly sealed equipment and pipelines to ensure stable operation.

Both processes have their own strengths and weaknesses. If you are considering investing in an oil processing production line, Huatai Oil Machinery can plan an environmentally friendly, stable, and cost-effective edible oil production line based on your oilseed materials and production scale.