In the solvent extraction process of soybean oil, it is often found that there are some powders in crude oil. What is the reason? In fact, both soybean oil processed by solvent extraction and soybean oil processed by pressing method may produce powder. The main source of these powders is the fine particles produced by soybean raw materials in the pretreatment stage (such as crushing and flaking). The following are the main causes of powder production and its cause analysis.

First of all, the physical characteristics of soybean itself are the basic factors of powder production. The oil content of soybean is low, generally between 16% and 20%, and the water content is relatively low. This characteristic makes it easier for soybeans to form fine particles during crushing, which in turn increases the amount of powder produced.

Secondly, the process control of flaking has an important influence on the production of powder. If the embryo is too thin or the moisture is not fully adjusted during the flaking process, the embryo will be fragile and easily broken into fine particles in the subsequent processing and solvent extraction process. These particles can easily enter the mixed oil with the solvent and eventually remain in the crude oil.

Although these powders are usually effectively removed in subsequent refining processes, such as filtration and degumming, there may still be a certain amount of powder residue for crude oil that has not been refined. Therefore, controlling the technological parameters in the pretreatment stage, such as the size of soybean particles during crushing and the thickness and moisture during flaking, is an important means to reduce powder production.

In a word, the powder in soybean oil produced by solvent extraction is mainly caused by fine particles produced during pretreatment. By optimizing the crushing and flaking process, the powder content in crude oil can be effectively reduced, thus improving the quality of oil.