Fast and reliable testing for hexane residues in edible oils
Flash point tests can be used to determine hexane residue thresholds in edible oils after solvent extraction processes.
Traditionally, edible oils are extracted from oilseeds, vegetables, or nuts by hydraulic or expeller pressing. The oil yield after such mechanical pressing is about 60 to 70 %. For an enhanced recovery to achieve oil yields above 95 % solvent extraction using hexane has been widely adapted. After the extraction, the hexane is separated from the edible oil by several evaporation and distillation steps.
After passing the stripping column and the oil dryer the extracted oil should have less than 100 ppm of hexane. A quick and reliable method to determine the hexane content within the extracted oil is a flash point test according to the method ISO 15267. An expected flash point of 121 °C is normally used to check if the oil removing process is working according to given specifications.
As a longstanding producer of flash point testing equipment, Anton Paar has the perfect instrument for this task – the PMA 500.
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