Soap-stock Acidulation

Soap-stock Acidulation

Soap-stock is a by-product generated during the alkali neutralization stage of edible oil refining. It contains soap, entrained oil, water, and traces of alkali. Instead of disposing of this material, it can be processed through a Soap-stock Acidulation system to recover valuable acid oil.
The soap-stock is treated with caustic lye to saponify neutral oil & phospholipids and sent to Acidulation reactors for splitting. In these reactors, soap-stock is mixed with sulphuric acid which breaks the soap molecules into free fatty acids, and untreated glycerides as Acid oil and allowing this phase to separate from the water phase. Acid oil can be further washed with hot water which makes it free from mineral acidity.

The recovered acid oil can be used in:

Soap manufacturing

Oleochemical industries

Biodiesel production

Key Features of the Plant

Automated process control for consistent output

Robust and corrosion-resistant equipment

High oil recovery with high TFM content and lower mineral acidity

Minimizes environmental impact with effective scrubbing of harmful gases

Continuous or batch operation options

Optimized acid consumption