| abstract |
A method and apparatus for distilling, especially vacuum refining and deodorizing edible oils and fats utilizing sheets of oil driven downwardly in a distiller with a vacuum source at its top. A nozzle includes pressure equalization chambers, cantilever adjustment screws, and a central drag sheet to produce longer lasting and more uniform thin oil sheets to be driven in the distiller. A continuous process deaerates, dehydrates, degums, bleaches, refines, removes tocopherol, deodorizes, and strips peroxides and hydroperoxides from raw oil in a series of isothermal stages utilizing driven sheet distillers. No stripping steam is used except in the stage which strips peroxides and hydroperoxides. The method produces valuable, pure products such as tocopherol and fractionated fatty acids. It is especially efficient in heat exchange and low in waste and pollution producing products. A steam sparging nozzle for distributing steam in the stripping of peroxides and hydroperoxides includes a plurality of small tubes with openings which restrict steam flow so as to produce a uniform distribution of optimum size steam bubbles in the steam stripping column of oil. A microwave excitation device radiates the oil immediately prior to forming the driven sheets to excite the more volatile components of the oil for distilling. |