High-Efficiency Continuous Solvent Extractor for Edible Oil Production
The Huatai Edible Oil Extractor is the core equipment of any solvent extraction plant, designed for continuous large-scale processing of pre-pressed oilseed cakes and expanded collets. Using counter-current hexane washing with optimized bed depth and percolation rate control, our extractors achieve residual oil in de-fatted meal consistently below 1% — making them the industry standard for oil mills seeking maximum oil recovery and profitability. Available in chain-driven and rotary configurations, the extractor handles all major oilseed materials including soybean flakes, rapeseed cake, sunflower cake, cottonseed flakes, rice bran pellets and palm kernel meal. Capacities range from 30 TPD for small operations to 1,500 TPD for large crushing complexes.Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Chain-Driven Extractor | Rotary Extractor |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 50 – 1,500 TPD | 30 – 300 TPD |
| Residual Oil in Meal | < 1.0% | < 1.0% |
| Solvent Ratio (Solvent:Material) | 0.8 – 1.2 : 1 | 0.8 – 1.2 : 1 |
| Extraction Time | 60 – 120 min | 80 – 150 min |
| Solvent | n-Hexane (food grade) | n-Hexane (food grade) |
| Material Bed Depth | 1,000 – 2,000 mm | 800 – 1,500 mm |
| Percolation Rate | Adjustable via spray nozzle configuration | Adjustable via spray nozzle configuration |
| Washing Stages | 5 – 8 stages (configurable) | 4 – 6 stages |
| Motor Power | 3 – 15 kW (variable) | 2.2 – 7.5 kW |
| Material of Construction | Stainless steel (contact parts) | Stainless steel (contact parts) |
| Explosion-Proof Rating | Ex d IIB T4 | Ex d IIB T4 |
Solvent Extraction Working Principle
Counter-current solvent washing extracts oil from pre-treated oilseed material through a continuous, closed-loop process.
Material Feeding
Pre-pressed cake or expanded collets are fed into the extractor via an airlock feeder. The material forms a moving bed on the conveyor chain or rotating cells.
Counter-Current Washing
Hexane solvent is sprayed over the material bed through multiple stages of spray nozzles. Fresh solvent contacts the most depleted material, while concentrated miscella (oil-solvent mixture) contacts the fresh material — maximizing extraction efficiency through counter-current flow.
Drainage & Discharge
After the final washing stage, the de-fatted meal drains excess solvent before being discharged to the Desolventizer-Toaster (DT) for solvent recovery. Residual oil in the meal is below 1%.
Miscella Collection
The concentrated miscella (typically 20-30% oil) is collected in the miscella tank and pumped to the evaporation system for solvent-oil separation. Recovered solvent is recycled back to the extractor.
Why Choose Huatai Oil Extractor
Ultra-Low Residual Oil
Precision-engineered spray nozzle layout and optimized material bed depth ensure thorough solvent contact with every particle. Our extractors consistently achieve residual oil levels of 0.5-0.8% in de-fatted meal — significantly below the 1% industry threshold, directly improving your plant's oil yield and revenue.
Explosion-Proof Safety
All electrical components, motors and sensors carry Ex d IIB T4 explosion-proof certification. The sealed extractor vessel maintains a slight negative pressure to prevent hexane vapor escape, and integrated nitrogen blanketing systems are available for enhanced safety compliance.
Low Maintenance Design
The chain-driven extractor uses robust alloy steel chains with hardened pins and bushings rated for over 20,000 hours of operation. Stainless steel contact surfaces resist corrosion from hexane and oil, while the modular spray bar design allows quick individual nozzle replacement without process shutdown.
Multi-Material Flexibility
The same extractor can process soybean flakes, rapeseed pre-pressed cake, sunflower cake, cottonseed flakes and rice bran pellets by adjusting spray volume, bed depth and conveyor speed. This flexibility enables multi-seed processing plants to handle seasonal raw material changes without equipment modification.
Applicable Oilseed Materials
Huatai oil extractors process all major oilseed materials for complete oil recovery.
Soybean
Full-press flakes or pre-pressed cake. Soybean is the world's largest volume oilseed processed by solvent extraction, with typical processing capacities of 100-1,500 TPD.
Rapeseed / Canola
Pre-pressed cake after expeller pressing. The high oil content of rapeseed (38-42%) makes two-stage pressing + extraction the preferred process route.
Sunflower Seed
Pre-pressed cake from dehulled sunflower kernels. Hull removal before extraction improves meal protein content and reduces fiber.
Cottonseed
Flaked and expanded cottonseed meats. Puffing before extraction increases oil yield by 2-3% and improves percolation through the material bed.
Rice Bran
Stabilized and pelletized rice bran. Pelletizing is essential for rice bran to achieve adequate bed permeability during solvent percolation.
Peanut / Copra
Pre-pressed cake from high-oil seeds. Peanut and copra are first pressed to reduce oil content to 10-12% before entering the extractor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the residual oil content after solvent extraction?
Huatai's continuous solvent extractors achieve residual oil in de-fatted meal consistently below 1.0%, typically in the range of 0.5-0.8%. This is significantly lower than mechanical pressing alone, which typically leaves 6-8% residual oil in the cake. The difference represents substantial additional oil revenue over the life of the plant.
What capacity range is available for the oil extractor?
Huatai offers solvent extractors in capacities ranging from 30 TPD for small operations to 1,500 TPD for large-scale industrial plants. The most popular configurations are 100-300 TPD for mid-size oil mills and 500-1,000 TPD for major crushing facilities. Each extractor is custom-designed to match your specific raw material and throughput requirements.
What oilseed materials can the extractor process?
The extractor handles all major oilseed materials including soybean flakes, rapeseed/canola pre-pressed cake, peanut pre-pressed cake, sunflower seed cake, cottonseed flakes, rice bran pellets, palm kernel flakes, and copra meal. Process parameters are adjusted for each material's bulk density and permeability, making a single extractor suitable for multi-seed processing plants.
Complete Your Extraction Plant
Solvent Vacuum Evaporation Sys
Batch Type Solvent Extraction
Edible Oil Extractor
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