t h i s becomes t h e m o r e a p p a r e n t w h e n it is noted t h a t this c o m p o n e n t c o n s t i t u t e s 2 5 % of the c r u d e s a r d i n e oil p r o c e s s e d . An i n t e r e s t i n g s i d e l i g h t o n t h i s n e w method of refining fish oils is i t s u s e in t h e recovery of t h e v i t a m i n c o n s t i t u e n t s of t h e b o d y oils of s a r d i n e , m e n h a d e n , a n d herring. T i n s o p e n s u p a n e w s t o r e h o u s e for these e x p e n s i v e m a t e r i a l s t h a t u n t i l now have been o b t a i n e d from t h e liver instead of t h e b o d y oils of t h e fish. P i l o t p l a n t figures for t h e p r o c e s s i n g of 100 l b of sardine b o d y o i l s h o w t h e f o l l o w i n g : 1011). 3 5 lb. 45lh. 3 11). 4 lb. 3 lb. Jersey plant
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Kellogg A n n o u n c e s Solexol A STAFF REPORT JL H E M . W. K e l l o g g C o . , p r o c e s s e n g i n e e r s , r e c e n t l y a n n o u n c e d t h e successful d e v e l o p m e n t of a s o l v e n t extraction m e t h o d for t h e refining of n o n m i n e r a l oils. T h e new process, which has been n a m e d S o l e x o l , is t h e r e s u l t o f s e v e r a l y e a r s of r e s e a r c h in w h i c h t h e Kellogg o r g a n i z a t i o n m a d e u s e of t h e t e c h n i q u e s i t h a s a c q u i r e d in its w o r k in t h e field of p e t r o l e u m . E s s e n t i a l l y , t h e n e w p r o c e s s effects a f r a c t i o n a t i o n of t h e oil c o n s t i t u e n t s b y u s e of a s p e c i a l t h o u g h i n e x p e n s i v e g r a d e of p r o p a n e u n d e r r e l a t i v e l y low p r e s s u r e s . A s t h e t e m p e r a t u r e of t h e s o l v e n t is i n c r e a s e d , i t s a b i l i t y to m i x w i t h t h e h i g h m o l e c u l a r w e i g h t c o m p o n e n t s of t h e oil decreases until a t t h e critical t e m p e r a t u r e of p r o p a n e , 2 0 6 ° F . , o n l y a c o n c e n t r a t e d l i g h t oil f r a c t i o n is l e f t in t h e s o l v e n t layer. T h e o p e r a t i o n of t h e p r o c e s s a t t h e s e low t e m p e r a t u r e s does n o t b r i n g a b o u t a n y p o l y m e r i z a t i o n of t h e h i g h l y u n s a t u r a t e d g l y c e r i d e s or d e s t r u c t i o n of v i t a min content b y thermal decomposition. T h e Solexol p r o c e s s is a r a d i c a l d e p a r t u r e f r o m t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l m e t h o d s of r e f i n i n g n o n m i n e r a l oils w h i c h u n t i l n o w w a s a c c o m p l i s h e d b y a s e r i e s of c h e m i c a l t r e a t m e n t s a n d s u b s e q u e n t necessary purificat i o n s t e p s . B e c a u s e of t h e p h y s i c a l r a t h e r t h a n c h e m i c a l n a t u r e of s e p a r a t i o n e m p l o y e d b y t h e n e \ v - m e t h o d , n o n e of t h e i n h e r e n t useful q u a l i t i e s of a n y of t h e c o n s t i t u e n t f r a c t i o n s is d e s t r o y e d . T h i s f a c t r e s u l t s in a g r e a t e r o v e r - a l l e c o n o m i c efficiency t h a n p r e v i o u s l y a c h i e v e d . A n o t h e r i n n o v a t i o n in t h e field i n t r o d u c e d b y t h e Solexol p r o c e s s i s t h a t i t is c o n t i n u o u s t h r o u g h o u t a n d so l e n d s itself t o e a s y i n s t r u m e n t a t i o n . I n s t e a d of t h e u s u a l l a r g e staffs o i t e p p e r a t o r s n e e d e d b y t h e currently used b a t c h or s e m i c e n t i n u -
3188
o u s p r o c e s s e s , a full-scale Solexol plant c a n b e r u n safely b y o n l y t w o m e n . T h e Solexol p r o c e s s is e x t r e m e l y flexible >y n a t u r e a n d t h e specific d e s i g n of an i n s t a l l a t i o n will v a r y s o m e w h a t d e p e n d i n g u p o n t h e material t o b e processed. Alt h o u g h t h e r e a r e no c o m m e r c i a l - s c a l e p l a n t s in o p e r a t i o n a t p r e s e n t , s p o k e s m e n f o r t h e c o m p a n y a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e r e are s i x u n d e r c o n s t r u c t i o n . P i l o t - p l a n t studi e s t o d a t e h a v e i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e Solexol p r o c e s s will b e of i m m e n s e v a l u e i n the c o u n t e r c u r r e n t e x t r a c t i o n of m a n y oils, a m o n g t h e m s o y b e a n , c o t t o n s e e d , corn, l i n s e e d , t a l l , fish l i v e r , a n d fish b o d y oils. A n i m m e d i a t e b e n e f i t of t h e n e w process is s e e n in its u s e for t h e p r o d u c t i o n of q u i c k - d r y i n g oils s u i t a b l e for l i n s e e d oil r e p l a c e m e n t . T h e r a w m a t e r i a l s for this a p p l i c a t i o n would i n c l u d e low quality m a r i n e oils s u c h a s s a r d i n e , h e r r i n g , and m e n h a d e n w h o s e u s e w o u l d afford a lins e e d oil r e p l a c e m e n t in s u b s t a n t i a l quant i t i e s a n d a t a l o w e r c o s t t h a n heretofore p o s s i b l e . I t is c l a i m e d t h a t t h e n e w proce s s c a n p r o d u c e a f r a c t i o n from sardine o i l t h a t a p p r o a c h e s t h e h i g h i o d i n e numb e r a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y t h e d r y i n g properties o f t u n g oil. T h e e c o n o m i c p o s s i b i l i t y of
CHEMICAL
v i t a m i n A and D c o n c e n t r a t e d r y i n g oil fortifier l i n s e e d oil r e p l a c e m e n t s t e a r ' m e f o r u s e in s h o r t e n i n g fatly acids residual material
Although f u n d a m e n t a l investigations have shown t n a t the Solexol process is a p p l i c a b l e t o all t y p o s of v e g e t a b l e oils, d e v e l o p m e n t w o r k h a s .been c o n c e n t r a t e d o n the a p p l i c a t i o n of t h e m e t h o d t o s o y bean a n d c o t t o n s e e d o i l s . A n e x a m p l e of its use i n t h i s field is t h e f o l l o w i n g p i l o t p l a n t d a t a o n a 1 0 0 - l b . of s o y b e a n oil: 6S.511). 30.01b. 1.51b.
h i g h q u a l i t y s a l a d oil q u i c k d r y i n g p a i n t oil lecithin and other p i o d u c t s
Among t h e " o t h e r p r o d u c t s " noted above is a s m a l l fraction r i c h in s t e r o l s , containing t o c o p h e r o l s a n d stigmasterol, valuable commercial products. The former s u b s t a n c e h a s b e e n s h o w n t o h a v e the ability t o d e l a y oxidation in food products a n d t h e l a t t e r h a s b e e n u s e d as t h e starting m a t e r i a l for t h e m a n u f a c t u r e of hormones. A l t h o u g h t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of t h e Solexol process t o t h e field of a n i m a l f a t s h a s n o t been i n v e s t i g a t e d as e x t e n s i v e l y a s t h o s e of fish a n d v e g e t a b l e oils, p r e l i m i n a r y studies s h o w t h a t t h e n e w p r o c e s s is capable of p r o d u c i n g r e v o l u t i o n a r y a c c o m plishments h e r e a s well. Since t h e c o l o r b o d i e s f o u n d i n a n i m a l fats a r e h i g h m o l e c u l a r w e i g h t c o m p o u n d s , t h e S o l e x o l p r o c e s s offers g r e a t possibilities as a m e a n s t o r e m o v e t h e m in an e a s y , c o m p l e t e , a n d i n e x p e n s i v e manner. Of a d d i t i o n a l h e l p t o t h e s o a p p r o c e s s o r s is Solexol's a b i l i t y to effect a s e p a r a t i o n of t h e free f a t t y a c i d s from t h e m i x e d t r i glycerides. B e c a u s e of t h i s , t h e K e l l o g g o r g a n i z a t i o n b e l i e v e s t h e p r o c e s s offers a d o u b l e e c o n o m i c g a i n t o s o a p o i l refiners.
AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
