Sunflower Oil Mill and Processing Plant

Sunflower seed oil is widely used in industrial applications, such as paints, plastics, lubricants, exploration of diesel fuel, manufacturing of soaps and detergents, among others. But, most of the sunflower oil is used as an edible oil in form of salad cooking oil or margarine. Due to numerous uses, the demand of sunflower oil has increased to sustain the need.

We are professional sunflower oil mill plant manufacturer. We can supply complete set of sunflower oil processing machine, which include sunflower oil press machine, sunflower oil solvent extraction machine and sunflower oil refining machine.The whole sunflower oil mill plant can also process other vegetable plants includes peanut, cotton seeds, soybean seeds, corn seeds, palm kernels and sesame seeds.Sunflower oil mill plant price is depending on the capacity you required.

Sunflower Oil Processing Steps

Cleaning

Sunflower seeds go through cleaning by vibrating screens and gravity destoners to remove sand, stones, metal, straw, and other contaminants. This step protects subsequent equipment from damage.

Dehulling

Sunflower seeds have a high shell content. Shell removal effectively reduces oil absorption by shells, improves oil yield, and prevents pigments and waxes from shells from entering the oil. A centrifugal shelling machine separates the shells from the kernels. Typically, the shell content in the separated kernels must be below 5%.

Flaking

Feed hulled kernels into a flaking machine, which presses them into thin flakes measuring 0.3-0.5 mm thick. The flaking machine breaks down the oilseed’s cellular structure and increases surface area, making oil extraction easier in after processes.

Steaming

This is the key step in the hot pressing process. Send the flaked material into a steaming cooker, where steam conditions the flakes. By controlling temperature (98-110°C) and moisture content (reducing from 10-16% to 1-2%), proteins denature and oil viscosity decreases, facilitating pressing.

For cold pressing process prioritizing nutrient retention, you can skip this step or strictly control temperatures below 60°C.

Oil Pressing

Feed the conditioned sunflower seed kernels into a screw oil press for extraction. The screw press generates continuous high pressure through the rotation of its screw shaft, squeezing oil out of the seeds.

The pressing process produces crude oil containing sediments and cake meal. Hot pressing achieves higher oil yields, while cold pressing better preserves the oil’s natural flavor and nutrition.

Solvent Extraction

The sunflower oil solvent extraction plant is based on the principle of applying chemical extraction. An organic solvent–n-hexan capable of dissolving oil and fat is used in sunflower oil solvent extraction plant, which is used to spray and soak the oil, so that the oil in the oilseed is dissolved in the solvent and extracted.

Compared with sunflower oil pressing plant, sunflower oil solvent extraction plant has the advantages of high oil yield, low residual oil, low labor intensity, good working environment and good quality oil we can got. Solvent extraction technique is a relatively advanced edible oil production method.

Main equipment used in sunflower oil solvent extraction plant:

1. Solvent extraction system: Rotocel extractor or Loop type extractor
2. D.T.D.C system: D.T.D.C tower(desolventizing-toasting-drying-cooling)
3. Mixed oil evaperation system: 1# Evaporator, 2# evaporator, Stripper
4. Condensate recovery system: Evaporating condenser, Stripping condenser, Energy saving exhaust gas recovery device

Oil Refining

Sunflower oil refinery plant is to remove harmful impuries and useless substance, such as protein, phospholipid, pigment, moisture, wax and other impurities. And then the refined sunflower oil can reach the standard of food and storage.

Degumming & Deacidification section: Use P-acid to remove gums, alkali to react with acid and then water to rinse.

Decoloring/bleaching section: To remove pigments, get bleaching oils and dehydrated oil.

Deodorizing section: To remove the odor components in oil.

Dewaxing section: To remove the wax in the sunflower oil, in order to get the higher quality cooking oil.

Advantages of the oil pressing and solvent extracting

Compared with other single oil pressing methods, the oil pre-pressing and extraction process has the advantages of high oil yield, good oil quality, good economic benefits, strong adaptability of oil seeds, and flexible production.

This process can also be used to extract oil from peanuts, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, and other seeds or nuts.

What are the challenges of sunflower oil production?

As you navigate the complex landscape of the sunflower oil production business, being cognizant of potential challenges is paramount. Here are some hurdles you might encounter:

Fluctuating Raw Material Costs: The price of sunflower seeds can vary due to market demand, weather conditions, and agricultural factors.

Supply Chain Disruptions: Events like natural disasters, transportation strikes, or geopolitical issues can interrupt the flow of seeds and finished products.

Technological Failures: Machinery breakdowns can halt production, affecting your supply commitments and financial targets.

Regulatory Changes: New laws or trade agreements can impact your operating costs and market accessibility.

Market Competition: Stiff competition can lead to price wars and reduced margins.

To manage these risks, it’s essential to develop robust strategies. Diversification of your supplier base can mitigate supply chain risks, while investing in maintenance can prevent technological breakdowns.

Keeping abreast of regulatory changes enables you to adapt swiftly. Furthermore, analyzing market trends helps in making informed decisions about competitive pricing and market positioning.