Fat modification process systems
Moving from refined oils to speciality fats? Or extending your existing facilities to handle specialty fats? Alfa Laval has a full range of fat modification processes such as fat hardening, interesterification (chemical or enzymatic), dry fractionation and semi-continuous deodorization. These can be integrated with an upstream refinery, work as a stand-alone process, or supply feedstock to downstream facilities such as margarine or shortening lines.
Benefits of our fat modification equipment
- Flexible design to handle a high number of production of different speciality fats per day
- Equipment can be designed for multiple purposes
- Minimal use of water and energy
Alfa Laval has simplified dry fractionation into a process that is easy for the operator to interface, and thus transformed the technology,” - Kenny Liew, Deputy Plant Manager for IOI Edible Oils Sdn Bhd in Malaysia.
Alfa Laval supplied us with a highly efficient plant, with the lowest production costs in terms of energy, hydrogen and catalyst consumption. It gives us unlimited flexibility to produce any type of fats we want,” - Alejandro Murillo, plant manager of CALSA – Cia Argentina de Levaduras S.A.I.C. – Argentina.
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Tailored design for your fat modification needs
Every specialty or customized fats producer has different raw materials and production goals. That’s why Alfa Laval fast modification systems are customizable for processing palm oil, animal fats, or blends. Choose a single system, or combine several – dry fractionation, enzymatic or chemical interesterification, and deodorization – to meet your exact requirements. Doing so lets you achieve the consistent textures, melting properties, and high-quality output you need across your margarine, shortening, or specialty fats portfolio.
How dry fractionation works in Alfa Laval fat modification systems
Dry fractionation is a chemical-free, physical separation process ideal for palm oil, animal fats, and other feedstocks. It enables the production of customized end-products – such as margarine or frying oil - that match your customers’ exact specifications.
In continuous dry fractionation, the feedstock is separated into:
- Stearin - high melting-point solid fractions
- Olein - low melting-point liquid fractions
Cooling the oil takes place in a controlled way by carefully regulating the temperature, causing the higher-melting components to crystallize. These solid crystals are then mechanically separated from the liquid phase using membrane filter presses, producing two distinct products with different physical properties and melting points.
Batch-type dry fractionation system
For a batch-type dry fractionation system, the feedstock or refined palm oil enters the processing line. An external plate heat exchanger heats the feedstock to 65°C. Alternatively, the feedstock is heated inside the crystallizer to melt the crystalline structures before cooling takes place.
Next, the crystallizers reduce the feedstock temperature until the first crystals form and continue lowering the temperature to achieve the desired degree of crystallization. The cycle time of the dry fractionation process depends on the feedstock quality and final product quality desired.
After crystallization, the slurry passes through a membrane filter press, separating it into two products:
- Palm olein passes through the membrane and is forwarded to a storage tank.
- Palm stearin, which remains on the membrane, goes through further processing to remove as much olein as possible from the solid fraction for storage. Then, the stearin is dropped into a tank, melted by steam or hot water, and sent to storage.
Hydrogenation process
The versatile way to modify fats
Oils and fats from almost any type of raw material or ingredient can be modified into hard fats by altering their molecular structure through hydrogenation, a process in which hydrogen is chemically combined with unsaturated oils and fats by attaching to the double bonds of the unsaturated fatty acid chains.
Hydrogenation involves bubbling hydrogen gas through the oil at temperatures of 150°-200°C (302°–392°F), under pressure and in the presence of a catalyst. The hydrogen atoms saturate the double bonds, reducing unsaturated fatty acids or producing fully saturated fats. Hydrogenation raises the melting point of oils and fats and improves other properties, including taste, texture, stability and shelf life. The diagrams show two system designs for catalyst removal: one based on filtration and the other on continuous centrifugal separation.
Interesterification process
Interesterification can support keeping pace with evolving customer preferences through efficient, flexible production. By combining different oils and fats, interesterification makes it possible to produce hard fats from a wide range of raw materials while meeting modern market demands.
Traditional interesterification is carried out by using a chemical catalyst (normally sodium methylate) to bring about a regrouping of the position of the fatty acids on the basic glycerol molecule. Interesterification can also be supplied in an enzymatic version, selectively interesterfying in the glycerol 1 and 3 positions.
How interesterification works
A pump transfers a mixture of oils and fats from the mixing tank through a steam heater and into the reactor under vacuum conditions for effective drying. To improve drying efficiency, the oil is pumped through a recirculation section. After drying, a special dosing device introduces a catalyst into the oil recirculation stream.
Once the catalyst reaction has been completed, the oil is discharged to the post-treatment reactor to deactivate the catalyst using acid and the oil is treated using bleaching earth. As an alternative, the catalyst can be deactivated with water in the washing tank. The soap generated in this process is removed using a disc stack centrifuge. The oil is then dried and sent to the post-treatment stage.
Interesterification does not affect the degree of saturation of the fat, nor the location of the cis-trans chemical bonds. The process controls the consistency of the oils or fats at different temperatures, a parameter that is crucial for food manufacturers.
Customer's voice
IOI Edible Oils
The Alfa Laval dry fractionation plant at the palm oil refinery run by IOI Edible Oils features six crystallizers and one filter press. Here, dry fractionation is more than just a way of producing cooking oil. Advanced PLC systems have been added for efficient control and top-quality results.
Alfa Laval has simplified dry fractionation into a process that is easy for the operator to interface, and thus transformed the technology,”
- Kenny Liew, Deputy Plant Manager
CALSA – Cia Argentina de Levaduras S.A.I.C
CALSA chose Alfa Laval’s hydrogenation plant to boost efficiency, reliability and product quality. The system features a feed tank, a drop tank and a dead-end reactor. A highly efficient plate heat exchanger supports the system, optimizing heat recovery and reducing energy costs.
To ensure consistently high product purity, the plant uses a two-step catalyst removal system with direct filtration followed by post-treatment. A fully automated PLC control system streamlines operations, minimizes manual intervention, and delivers reliable, repeatable results while ensuring CALSA meet the strict food industry standards.
Alfa Laval supplied us with a highly efficient plant, with the lowest production costs in terms of energy, hydrogen and catalyst consumption. It gives us unlimited flexibility to produce any type of fats we want,”
- Alejandro Murillo, Plant Manager of CALSA, Argentina.
Let us help
Optimize your fat modifications process system based on the oils readily available and your market opportunities. Feel free to contact us at any time – even during the early stages – and take advantage of our extensive experience. We are eager to work with you to maximize the value from speciality fats production.
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