Improving the Quality and Processing of Fats and Oils

The research center safely offers the following services, which are unique:

  • Pilot and bench scale refining (degumming, bleaching, and deodorizing) of various edible fats and oils
  • Pre-treatment for various biodiesel/biofuel feedstock’s (animal fats, used cooking oil, non-edible oils etc.,)
  • Vegetable oil modifications for various food application (transesterification, winterization, fractionation etc.).
  • Deep frying testing and sensory evaluation.
  • Provides educational training (hands on) in the form of class and practical lab demonstration in the fats and oils area.
  • Provides one-o-one individual training (or group training) to acquire basic knowledge of fats and oils chemistry through bench scale and pilot scale demos.
  • This new innovation center of oils and fats is dedicated to improving the quality and processing characteristics of various fats and oils in general and edible oil in particular including biodiesel and biofuel.
  • Bench scale oil extraction process using the Soxhlet apparatus from edible and no-edible oil seeds

Fats and Oils Research

The Fats and Oils R&D Center conducts contract and sponsored research at bench scale and pilot scales offering complete array of vegetable oils and fats processing services in the pilot plant. The laboratories are equipped with modern instruments and provides complete range of analytical services based on AOCS and IUPAC methods for fats and oils analyses.

Pilot Scale Services

The center conducts contract and sponsored research at bench scale (in kilo grams) and pilot scales (multi-kilograms) in the following areas:

Chemical and Dry/Adsorptive Refining

  • The staffs are trained in both the chemical and physical refining process to ensure the complete removal of objectionable components with minimal losses.
  • Facilities consist of an array of batch refining equipment.
  • The center offers a flexible refining process to fit the specific research needs of clients (acid or caustic refining parameters, pre-treatment chemical concentration, bleaching clay and level, and operating conditions like temperature controls, centrifugal speeds, and variable vacuum pressure).

Process of refining crude oils or fats:

  • 1 Crude oils or fats.
  • 2 Heat to required temperature in steam jacketed kettles with agitation.
  • 3 Add chemicals specific to type of degumming.
  • 4 Centrifugal separation.
  • 5 Refined oil.

Conventional and Modified Bleaching

  • The center has research capabilities and equipment’s to suit your varying process requirements including temperature controls, type and amount of adsorbent, filtration, etc.
  • Conventional stick and tub spreads. Manufacture of low fat, trans free and nutritional supplemented products.
  • Lecithin processing and applications
  • Preparation of mono- and di-glycerides, rearranged and customized triglycerides.
  • Soap stock, spent bleaching clay, deodorizer distillate handling