Continuous vacuum bleaching of vegetable oils

A continuous vacuum bleaching process which has been in operation on a plant scale for eight years is described, and plant scale results are compared with atmospheric batch bleaching. Advantages of the continuous vacuum bleaching process are shown to be greater color reduction, better stability against oxidation, no free fatty acid rise, greater reduction in soap content, use of less adsorbent, less subsequent catalyst poisoning in hydrogenation, and better flavor stability of subsequently deodorized oils. No comparison between batch vacuum and continucus vacuum bleaching is presented, but the probable advantages of the continuous process are deducted.