In edible oil refining, vacuum is not an "optional" auxiliary parameter — it directly determines bleaching efficiency, deodorization effectiveness, and the oxidative stability of finished oils.

Many refineries neglect vacuum system optimization in pursuit of higher capacity. The result: high steam consumption, fluctuating oil quality, low distillate recovery, and excessive wastewater COD. Each of these represents hidden cost leakage.

Bleaching Stage: Vacuum Determines Efficiency

Bleaching efficiency improves significantly under vacuum conditions of 50–125 mbar. Higher vacuum means:

· Shorter bleaching time

· Reduced oil oxidation

· Efficient removal of phospholipids, chlorophyll, yellow and red pigments

· Minimized oil-air reaction, reducing peroxide value, anisidine value, and oil color

Ocean's experience shows that clay has an affinity for polar compounds including water. Maintaining appropriate moisture content helps better remove soaps, phospholipids, and chlorophyll.

Deodorization Stage: Breakthrough with Low-Temperature Chilled Water Vacuum System

Ocean's deodorization system uses a low-temperature chilled water vacuum system — cooling water is reduced to below 7°C, reducing vacuum pump steam consumption by two-thirds.

The vacuum system uses closed-loop cooling water circulation. Odor components are completely condensed in the cooling water, eliminating malodorous emissions and meeting environmental requirements.

Key Technical Specifications:

· Stable vacuum within 2 mbar

· Reduced direct steam consumption for energy savings

· Reduced organic matter in vacuum water

· Increased distillate recovery

· Improved refining yield

· Guaranteed finished oil quality

When refining soybean oil and other feedstocks, Ocean adds VE capture equipment to increase the value of deodorizer distillate byproducts.

Validated by 20+ years of experience and over 200 refining projects worldwide, Ocean has achieved fully automated vacuum control, ensuring vacuum stability, increasing oil yield, and maximizing overall profitability.

Ocean, focused on oil refining for over two decades, is a global leading turnkey oils & fats processing solutions provider .