A Complete Guide to Peanut Oil Production Line
Analysis of the process flow and technical characteristics of peanut oil production line
Due to its unique flavor and nutritional value, peanut oil has become one of the edible oils favored by consumers. Its production process involves multiple links such as raw material processing, oil pressing, refining and purification, storage and packaging, which require the combination of automated equipment and refined operations to ensure quality. The following will comprehensively analyze the design and operation of modern peanut oil production lines from the aspects of process flow, key equipment and technical characteristics.
1. Raw material pretreatment
Pretreatment is the basis for ensuring the quality of peanut oil, mainly including the following steps:
- Cleaning and screening: remove impurities (such as stones, metal fragments) and moldy kernels in peanuts through equipment such as vibrating screens and magnetic separators to ensure the purity of raw materials.
- Shelling and grading: Use a shelling machine to remove the peanut shell, and use a grading screen to classify the peanut kernels by size. Large peanuts are mostly used in hot pressing to retain the flavor, while small peanuts are suitable for cold pressing or leaching.
- Crushing and steaming: crush the peanut kernel into 4-6 pieces to increase the surface area; then control the temperature (about 120-130℃) and time (30-40 minutes) in the steaming pan to denature the protein and rupture the oil cells, which is convenient for subsequent pressing.
2. Pressing oil extraction
- Pressing process: use a screw oil press or a hydraulic oil press to extract oil through physical pressure. The screw oil press is suitable for continuous production, and the oil yield can reach more than 85%; the hydraulic oil press is suitable for small batches and high quality requirements.
- Preliminary filtration of crude oil: the crude oil after pressing contains more impurities, and large particles of residue need to be removed by a plate and frame filter or a centrifuge to obtain a preliminary clarified crude oil.
3. Refining and purification
Refining is a key link in improving the safety and taste of oil products, and includes the following steps:
- Degumming: add phosphoric acid or citric acid to neutralize colloids such as phospholipids, and remove them by centrifugation to reduce the risk of oil oxidation.
- Deacidification: Use alkali refining to neutralize free fatty acids, reduce acid value, and improve oil stability.
- Decolorization: Use activated clay or activated carbon to adsorb pigments (the addition amount is 1%-2.5% of the oil weight) to make the oil appear clear and light yellow.
- Deodorization: Distill at high temperature (240-260℃) and vacuum conditions to remove odor substances and retain the natural aroma of peanut oil.
4. Storage and packaging
- Storage management: Refined oil needs to be stored in nitrogen protection or low temperature environment to avoid oxidation and deterioration.
- Automatic filling: Use quantitative filling machines to fill finished oil into PET bottles, glass bottles or iron barrels, and complete packaging through sealing, labeling, coding and other processes to ensure sealing and hygiene standards.
2. Technical characteristics and innovations of the production line
1. Efficient automation and intelligence
The modern production line integrates a PLC control system to monitor parameters such as temperature and pressure in real time and automatically adjust the operating status of the equipment. For example, the temperature fluctuation in the steaming and frying process can be controlled within ±2℃, which significantly improves the oil yield and oil consistency.
2. Energy-saving and environmentally friendly design
- Energy recovery: The heat energy generated by the pressing section is recycled through the heat exchanger to reduce energy consumption.
- Wastewater and waste gas treatment: The refining wastewater is discharged in compliance with the standards after acid-base neutralization and precipitation; the volatile substances in the deodorization section are recovered by condensation to reduce environmental pollution.
3. Special process optimization
- Fragrant peanut oil process: High-temperature short frying (180-200℃) is used to stimulate the peanut aroma, and the deodorization time is reduced in the subsequent refining to retain the flavor to meet the needs of the high-end market.
- Aflatoxin prevention and control: Spectral detection technology is used to remove moldy peanuts in the raw material screening stage, and adsorbents and ultraviolet treatment are combined during refining to further degrade toxins to ensure food safety.
3. Future development trends
With the growing demand for healthy oils and fats from consumers, the peanut oil production line will develop in the following directions:
1. Green refining technology: Promote physical refining (such as membrane separation technology) to replace chemical methods and reduce the use of additives.
2. Intelligent upgrade: Introduce AI algorithms to optimize process parameters and achieve predictive maintenance and fault diagnosis.
3. Flexible production: Develop modular equipment to support small-batch customized production (such as organic peanut oil, cold-pressed oil).
Conclusion
The core of the peanut oil production line is to balance efficiency and quality through the combination of refined processes and advanced equipment. From raw material pretreatment to finished product filling, strict control of each link is the key to producing safe and healthy edible oil. In the future, with technological innovation, the peanut oil industry will be more efficient and environmentally friendly to meet diversified market needs.