FRACTIONATED FATS - DRY PROCESSING AND USES - VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL FATS, MILK FATS

Beef fat was fractionated last century in artisanal way in view of obtaining the olein to produce margarine. Nowadays fractionation processes are much more elaborated. Several techniques do exist: fractionation in miscella phase, fractionation with detergents, dry fractionation. A brief summary of these various techniques is given, their advantages and shortcomings are being discussed. Dry fractionation is then discussed more in details. 1) Cystallisation theory and as a result the important criteria for the development of good crystallisers. 2) Filtration with more in details a study of low pressure filtration compared to filtration under pressure. Some specific cases are then studied on the basis of industrial results: Palm oil fractionation with production of oleins, stearins and intermediary fractions. The use of each fraction is being illustrated with various examples. Palm kernel oil fractionation and production of cocoabutter replacers (CBR). Fractionation of beef tallow and lard. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil fractionation for producing first quality frying oils. Hydrogenated oil fractionation for producing high added value subproducts. Milk fat fractionation for producing high melting point stearins and oleins with low cloud point. Fatty acids fractionation.