Aqueous Oil Extraction from Oilseed via pH Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current non-organic solvent-based processes for oil extraction from oilseeds do not achieve comparable oil recovery levels to solvent-based processes, leading to economic disadvantages and environmental concerns associated with solvent use.
Innovation Solution
A method involving expelling oilseeds to produce a solid material, creating an aqueous slurry, and adjusting the pH to 8 or higher to release free oil, followed by separation of the oil from the slurry using centrifugation and oil-coalescing techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If organic solvent extraction is used, then oil recovery efficiency is improved (>96% recovery), but environmental risks and safety issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the extraction medium from organic solvent to aqueous solution, and adjusts pH parameters (adding alkaline compounds to reach pH 8 or higher) to enable effective oil extraction without organic solvents, thus resolving the contradiction between recovery efficiency and environmental safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical extraction mechanism of organic solvents with a combined mechanism of aqueous slurry treatment and pH modification, using alkaline compounds to facilitate oil release from solid material without the harmful effects of organic solvents
2Object-affected harmful factors
If non-organic solvent expeller-based process is used, then environmental safety is improved, but oil recovery efficiency worsens (83-89% recovery)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical-chemical parameters of the aqueous slurry by adding alkaline compounds to achieve pH 8 or higher, which enhances the extraction efficiency of the non-organic solvent process to reach >96% oil recovery while maintaining environmental safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary expelling to produce solid material containing residual oil, then applies aqueous slurry treatment with pH modification to extract the remaining oil, thereby improving overall recovery efficiency without compromising environmental safety
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process enhances oil recovery efficiency, achieving oil yields comparable to solvent-based methods while eliminating the use of organic solvents, thus addressing environmental and economic challenges.
Implementation Method 1
pH dependent generation of free oil in the slurry
Implementation Method 2
separating out the slurry into an insoluble protein enriched fraction and an oil-in-water liquid phase
Implementation Method 3
separating out the oil from the oil-in-water liquid phase
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(e)
Figure 3(a)~3(f)
AI summary
A process is disclosed for the efficient recovery of oil from oilseed materials without the use of organic solvents. In the process, the oilseed starting material is first expelled to remove a portion of the total oil. The expelled cake retains the remainder of the oil from the starting seed. This cake is slurried in water and the pH of the slurry is adjusted to pH > 8 with an alkaline compound. This pH adjustment results in release of oil from binding to other compounds and structures in the slurry. The slurry is then processed through a solids-liquid separation to produce a protein-enriched solids phase and an oil-in- water liquid phase. The liquid phase is then further processed to separate the oil from the water and recover the oil as free oil. The recovered oil can then be added to the expelled oil.