EQUIPMENTS – HUSK OIL

COMENIUS EUROPEAN PROJECT

Cups elevator can be used to construct equipments aimed

not at transportation but – for instance – at the husk oil

extraction.This is the husk oil extraction

process.Husk results from the olives’ squeezing out and contains from 5 to 7 percent of oil.

This oil can be recovered by means of extraction using appropriate solvents; the

most frequently used solvents are trichloroethylene, carbon

disulphide, dicloro ethane, hexane, light gasoline. The

last two are the ones that can, better than the others,

produce a less impure husk oil.

COMENIUS EUROPEAN PROJECT

Fig. Estrazione dell’olio dalla sansa

Esano

Sansa

Olio di sansa

Acqua

VB

AR

Bollman’s extractor employs a cups conveyor with a pierced bottom; husk is loaded from the top, on the left side (see fig.), comes down then goes up again and is downloaded on the right side thanks to a device that knocks over the

cups (cups that generally are never knocked down being

hinged above the barycentre).The sprayed solvent is

introduced into the right side, on the top of the equipment, passes through the husk in the cup, slides through its holes and “rains” onto the

cup placed underneath; then, husk and solvent, in the right arm, move counter-current.

COMENIUS EUROPEAN PROJECT

Fig. Estrazione dell’olio dalla sansa

Esano

Sansa

Olio di sansa

Acqua

VB

AR

The solvent and the oil – extracted but not saturated - are collected in a container placed under the right arm

and is sucked by a pump and “rained” onto the left side cups: here the solvent/husk

connection moves equi-current.

The solvent, now enriched with the husk oil is collected in a second container placed

under the left arm of the

equipment.

COMENIUS EUROPEAN PROJECT

Fig. Estrazione dell’olio dalla sansa

Esano

Sansa

Olio di sansa

Acqua

VB

AR

The solvent’s (hexane) boiling point (69 centigrades) is much

inferior to the oil’s one (ca. 300 centigrades), so that they

can be easily separated by distillation or, better, by

stripping (for instance at 100 centigrades or less) to avoid

to degrade the oil fragrances. This is the reason why the

solution is sent into a stripper: the oil comes out in the bottom, the solvent, that is usually recycled comes out

at the top.

COMENIUS EUROPEAN PROJECT

Fig. Estrazione dell’olio dalla sansa

Esano

Sansa

Olio di sansa

Acqua

VB

AR

THE END

COMENIUS EUROPEAN PROJECT

Prof. A. LAFRATTAProf. M. TIBERINIClasse 3°B chimici