Crude Palm Oil Refinery

(Bleaching Process)
Introduction
Introduction of Organization
 Felda Vegetable Oil Products Sdn. Bhd, Lahad Datu (FVOPSB
Lahad Datu ) was establish in 1995 and start operating in 2001
 Located three acres from the Port of Lahad Datu, Sabah,
strategic location suitable for palm oil refinery
 Equipped with modern equipment of high capacity such as
1000 MT per day refining plant and 1000 MT per day
fractionation plant
 Products : Refined Bleached and Deodorizer Palm Oil
(RBDPO), Refined Bleached and Deodorizer Palm Olein
(RBDPL), Refined Bleached and Deodorizer Palm Stearin
(RBDPS) ,Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD)
Physical
- free fatty acids are
separated by distillates at
high temperature and
vacuum.
- Use by FVOP

Crude
Palm Oil
Refining
Chemical
- free fatty acids is neutralize
to the form of stock soap
using caustic soda.
Bleaching Process
Flow Chart of Bleaching
Conditioned oil
is sprayed into The Filter residual
Bleaching clay is
Bleacher (B610) oil (heel) is
trapped in the
where it is dried discharge to the
Niagara filters and
and mixed with Slop Oil Tank
the filtered bleached
bleaching earth (T643) and
then flows to the
Bleached Oil Tank depressurized
(T770) via polishing before it can be
Bleaching earth open discharge the
automatically filters (F694/5/6).
dried cake by
dosed by the vibration.
hermetic Earth
Proportioning Once slurry oil
System (TD660) reached the
predetermined level, Filter is then
directly from the
it is transferred to closed and
bleaching earth
the Niagara filters evacuated and
hopper into the
(F691/2/3) put on standby
Bleacher

The bleached oil The slurry oil is then

slurry then pumped to the
overflows to the Niagara leaf filters for
Buffer tank the subsequent
(T611). filtration
Activated Bleaching Earth for
Edible Oil
 Bleaching earth as a filtering
and decolorizing agent is used
mainly in the production of Bleaching earth
mineral oils and greases, in works based on
production of vegetable oils its character of
and fats, fish oils and animal adsorption and
fats ion exchange

3 types of bleaching, in
FVOP bleaching is The bleaching
known as adsorption action seems to be
where this method carry due to the large
out by using bleaching adsorbent surface
agents such as bleaching of carbon
earth Bleaching
Earth
Description of Bleaching Earth
Physical and Chemical Properties Characteristic

Appearance Free flowing powder

Odour Odourless

pH Mildly acidic in suspension

Explosive properties Non-explosive

Relative density 350 – 1000kg/m3

Solubilty Negligible solubility in water,

solvents or oil

Particle size pass (200mesh)% 93 min, 95 max

Moisture % 9.3 – 9.4

Chemical composition Percentage
SiO2 55 – 80

Al2O3 5 – 20

Fe2O3 2 – 10

MgO 0–8
CaO 0–5
Na2O 0–2
Hazards
K 2O Information of bleaching earth 0 - 2
Possible short-term effects of exposure :

Skin contact Eye contact Inhalation Ingestion

Irritation, Irritation, Irritation of nose Gastric irritation

soreness, cracking redness, soreness and mouth

of skin
 Particle
Storage size
and distribution
handling

Powder
transfer

PROBLEMS
Problem 1
Particle size distribution
 Major physical parameter affecting bleaching-earth

performance, as all adsorption theory considers

adsorption as surface phenomena
 Finest particle size clays have the best bleaching power
 But too small create severe filtration problem and oil

retention is increased
 Filtration quality must necessarily feature a precisely-

defined particle size distribution in order to guarantee

optimum filtration performance in modern pressure
leaf filters
 Therefore, adsorption should have as small size as can

effectively handled by the filter system

Problem 2
Storage and handling
 Activated bleaching earth is in the powder form,

it is easy to create and disperse dust (may form

explosive mixture with air)
 High humidity will cause caking of the powder, if

stronger bonds lead to significant caking, the

material may not be usable at all
 Activated bleaching earth is easily contaminated

by toxic substance
 Most important hazards: Contains SUSPECT
CANCER HAZARD
Problem 3
Powder transfer
 Steps involve large quantity powder with particles in contact

with one another

 The discharge of sufficiently fine powders can create flooding

 If the solid-handling equipment cannot handle fluids, powder

will flood through system uncontrollably. Even if the powder is

contained, its bulk density can undergo dramatic variations
once fluidized, negatively affecting down-stream equipment
 Flow-rate limitations also may occur when fine powders are

handled. The expansion of voids during flow can create

upward air pressure gradients acting against gravity reduces
or limits the discharge rate
Solution???
 Solution for handling
and storage of activated
bleaching earth

Packed in 25kg pp woven bag storing it in a cool,

dry location away from incompatible materials,
which decompose in the presence of dusts and
weak acid such as cyanides, sulphates and
peroxides

Bleaching earths should not be stored in the

vicinity of chemicals with a strong odour of
volatile substances, since the vapours given off
will be largely adsorbed by the bleaching
earths, and could lead to contamination of other
substances. So, absolutely essential for
bleaching earths to be stored in separate areas
Conclusion
 Bleaching of oils are critical to the production of a

visually pleasing product

 These processes are important as it removes color

bodies and other impurities which if carried over

into the deodorizing operation, would produce an
unacceptably dark-colored oil
 It is involve particulate known as bleaching earth,

adsorbent for bleaching process

 Company should know about particulate their

dealing to ensure it suitable for process and

prevent problems