The Total Degumming Process – Theory and Industrial Application in Refining and Hydrogenation

The degumming of vegetable oils prior to physical refining is a crucial preliminary step. The degumming process is not only largely responsible for the quality of the final product, but it also determines the amount of bleaching earth to be used, which has a substantial effect on the yield improvement which can be attained by this route. Investigations show clearly that iron, as a pro‐oxidant, strongly influences the stability of refined oils, and that oil, degummed before bleaching and physical refining, may contain a maximum of 0.2 ppm Fe, if it is to yield a stable product. The Total Degumming Process has been developed on the basis of these findings, to make it possible to degum oil to a residual Fe‐level below 0.2 ppm and a residual phosphorus content below 10 ppm. The principles and industrial application of the process have been considered. The results of industrial production using different raw materials of various qualities have been used to make a comparison between the conventional refining process (neutralization – bleaching – deodorization) and the Total Degumming Process in combination with physical refining. The combination of the Total Degumming Process and a simplified caustic refining process, and the use of Totally Degummed Oil for hydrogenation have also been considered.