Foundation of operating practices of seed meal moisture and heat treatment on oil extraction from castor beans

Abstract

Moisture and heat treatment of the castor beans with intensive mixing and bringing its humidity and temperature to optimum values for a given period of time causes a change in a number of physical and chemical properties of the castor-oil seed meal and oil contained in it. This promotes a better oil extraction effect. Moist and heat treatment is one of the most important technological operations in the castor bean preparation for the oil extraction through pressing and has a decisive influence on the quantity and quality of the final products: oil, oilcake or solvent cake. To substantiate the necessary operating practices for moisture and heat treatment of the castor-oil seed meal, an experimental complex was developed to extract oil from oil-bearing raw materials and the experiment procedure was determined. Experimental researches have established several operating practices of castor-oil seed meal roasting. 1) At steam pressure in a steam generator of 3 kg / cm2, the seed meal moistening time (at an initial humidity of 5.8%) to a moisture content of 10 ... 13.5% is 30 ... 55 seconds, and the drying time to a humidity of 6 ... 9% is 75 ... 150 minutes; 2) at a steam pressure of 4 kg / cm2, the seed meal moistening time (at an initial humidity of 5.8%) to a moisture content of 10 ... 13.5% is 35 ... 60 seconds, and the drying time to a humidity of 6 ... 9% is 75 ... 150 minutes; 3) at a steam pressure of 5 kg / cm2, the seed meal moistening time (at an initial humidity of 5.8%) to a humidity of 10 ... 13.5% is 45 ... 80 seconds, and the drying time to a humidity of 6 ... 9% is 55 ... 100 minutes. As a result of experimental studies, calibration curves have been obtained, which determine the time for the technological operations of seed meal moisture-heat treatment to obtain a target value of its moisture content.