Sunflower Oil Refining Equipment: What You Need to Know Before Investing

Sunflower seeds contain up to about 50% fat, primarily unsaturated fatty acids, and are cholesterol-free. Their linoleic acid content can reach 70%, which helps lower blood cholesterol levels and benefits cardiovascular health. Sunflower seeds have a high oil content of 38% to 45%. The resulting crude oil has a rich sunflower seed aroma. After undergoing the "five-step" refining process in oil refining equipment, it can be used as a salad oil. Sunflower oil ranks fourth in global consumption. As consumers pay increasing attention to food health, its use in daily life is growing. This robust consumer market has prompted many oil mills to invest in sunflower oil production lines.

Sunflower Oil Processing Technology:

For producing sunflower oil, processing technology can be chosen between oil press extraction or solvent extraction equipment. For small and medium-sized edible oil processing plants, Huatai Cereals and Oils recommends choosing the oil press extraction process. Firstly, pressing is a widely recognized method that preserves oil nutrients well and yields oil with a rich aroma, making it more readily accepted by consumers. Secondly, the equipment required for a pressing production line can be flexibly adjusted based on the plant's budget and actual production capacity, meeting needs while saving investment.

Sunflower Oil Refining Process:

Edible oil processing requires essential refining equipment. After crude sunflower oil is extracted by the oil press, it must undergo refining processes like degumming, deacidification, decolorization, and deodorization to remove mechanical impurities, pigments, harmful elements, etc. Only then can the finished sunflower oil meet national edible oil standards and be sold on the market.

Refining crude sunflower oil typically includes the following steps, each requiring specific equipment:

Degumming: 

Removes phospholipids and other colloidal impurities.

Equipment: Centrifuges (e.g., disc centrifuges), mixers (for adding phosphoric acid or enzymes).

Deacidification:

 Primarily removes Free Fatty Acids (FFA). Common industrial methods are chemical and physical deacidification.

Chemical Method: Adds an alkali solution to neutralize FFAs, forming insoluble soapstock, which is then separated.

Physical Method: Removes FFAs using high-temperature distillation.

Equipment: Centrifuges, alkali mixing tanks (Chemical); Molecular distillation units or steam distillation towers (Physical).

Decolorization (Bleaching): 

Adsorbs pigments (e.g., chlorophyll, carotenoids) using adsorbents, followed by filtration to obtain bleached oil.

Equipment: Bleaching earth mixer, vacuum bleacher.

Deodorization: 

Removes volatile odor compounds.

Equipment: Deodorizing tower.

Dewaxing (Optional): 

Removes waxes to improve low-temperature fluidity and oil clarity.

Equipment: Cooling/crystallization tanks, filters.

Equipment selection should be based on processing capacity, refining technology, equipment material, and other factors.

When investing in a sunflower oil processing plant and purchasing a production line, consider consulting Huatai Cereals and Oils Machinery. Our factory has an independent R&D and design team capable of providing plant layout design, equipment customization, and process flow design. Our production line services include installation, commissioning, and operator training. From production to installation, dedicated personnel provide full tracking to ensure smooth line operation. We also conduct regular follow-ups to monitor equipment usage, creating a safe and efficient production environment for our clients. Welcome to visit our factory for inspection.