Neutralization in Vegetable Oil Production

In the refining of crude vegetable oils, neutralization is one of the important steps that directly determines product quality. In this process, free fatty acids are removed from the medium by controlled reaction with lime. Deviations in dosing lead to product loss, saponification problems, and process imbalance. For this reason, lime feeding on the neutralization line must be continuous, proportional, and precise.

| Silo Design for Difficult-Flowing Material

The lime used in the neutralization process cannot be reliably managed with standard silo solutions due to its difficult-flowing structure, its tendency to bridge, and its rapid absorption of moisture. Storage systems designed without accounting for these physical properties lead to feeding irregularities and process interruptions. The 30–70 m³ lime silos used in this process are specifically designed with these challenges in mind. The silos are suitable for filling via both bulk tanker and big-bag discharge. Thanks to silo-top equipment such as a jet-pulse filter, a pressure safety valve, and min/max level switches, conditions inside the silo are kept under continuous control. Thanks to the enclosed design, the lime's contact with moisture is minimized, preventing degradation of the material's character as early as the storage stage.

To enable the lime to be drawn from the silo continuously and stably, a SILOCONE Bin Activator is integrated beneath the silo. This system eliminates the risks of bridging and sticking, making the material flow continuous and homogeneous.

| Precise Dosing in the Continuous Process

The FEEDWELL Volumetric Feeder, positioned beneath the silo, is the key piece of equipment that determines the precision of lime feeding on the neutralization line. Operating in a manner suited to the continuous process, this system feeds the lime volumetrically and proportionally, providing stable dosing linked to the oil flow rate.

Thanks to this structure, lime feeding is carried out not by approximate values, but in a controlled and predictable manner. Flow control that does not disrupt the reaction balance reduces the risk of saponification and enables the neutralization process to operate at the same quality level under all conditions.