Castor Seed Crushing & Solvent Extraction Flow
From certified electronic weighbridge receiving and automated multi-deck screen cleaning through continuous high-pressure expelling to closed-loop Normal Hexane extraction, yielding Commercial Castor Oil and high-nitrogen organic meals.
📋 Stage-by-Stage Engineering Breakdown
Seed Inward & Electronic Weighbridge
Direct farm-gate seed consignments from Banaskantha undergo gross and tare weighbridge verification. Quality inspectors draw composite core samples for rapid lab analysis of seed moisture, foreign matter, and natural oil content (48%–52%).
Multi-Deck Cleaning & Biofuel Recovery
Vibratory screens, rare-earth permanent magnetic drums, and de-stoners remove stems, stones, and iron tramp metal. Light husks and pods are aspirated and conveyed directly to the biomass steam boiler to generate process steam with zero fossil fuel.
Continuous High-Torque Screw Expelling
Cleaned seeds are conditioned and crushed in heavy-duty 120K / 70K continuous expellers. 40% of the seed mass is extracted as unrefined commercial crude castor oil, while the remaining 60% forms expeller cake containing 8%–9% residual oil.
Continuous n-Hexane Solvent Extraction (SEP)
Expeller cake is fed into counter-current extraction baskets using food-grade Normal Hexane. Hexane is stripped in desolventizer-toasters under deep vacuum with steam toasting, inactivating ricin allergens to produce premium organic De-Oiled Cake (D.O.C).
Extraction Mass Balance (1,000 kg Cleaned Seed Basis)
Theoretical & Plant Operating Metrics| Stream / Component | Type | Mass Balance (kg) | Composition & Purity | Primary Industrial Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaned Castor Seed Feed | INPUT | 1,000 kg | 48.0% – 52.0% Natural Oil Content | Direct Farm-Gate Sourcing (Banaskantha) |
| Primary Crude Castor Oil | PRODUCT | 400 kg (40%) | Unrefined, FFA 1.5%–2.0% | Sent to Clarification, Decantation & Refining |
| De Oiled Cake (D.O.C) Meal | PRODUCT | 590 kg (59%) | Residual Oil <1.0%, Nitrogen 4.5%–5.0% | Organic Fertilizer & High Protein Soil Enricher |
| Husks & Solid Debris | BYPRODUCT | 10 kg (1%) | Fibrous Biomass & Inert Dust | Biomass Boiler Fuel (Zero Fossil Emission) |
Castor Oil Chemical Refining Flow
Advanced degumming, foots sedimentation, high-vacuum thermal moisture stripping, Activated Bleaching Earth & Carbon adsorption, and hermetic vertical pressure leaf filtration producing FSG/BSS, PPG, and British Pharmacopoeia (BP 93) grades.
📋 Refining Operation & Quality Parameters
Decantation & Foots Recycle
Crude oil settles in continuous conical decanters where heavy mucilaginous gums and solid meal fines gravimetrically separate. Clarified supernatant moves forward to bleaching, while settled foots are continuously recycled back to the expellers for 100% circular oil recovery.
Precision Adsorption Chemical Dosing
Clarified oil is treated in an automated slurry dosing reactor with Hyflow filter aid (0.1%–0.3%) for leaf pre-coat, Tonsil / Galleon acid-activated bleaching earth (1.0%–1.5%) for chlorophyll/carotene removal, and Activated Carbon (0.75%–1.0%) for deep polyaromatic odor stripping.
High-Vacuum Thermal Bleacher
The oil slurry enters an agitated vacuum reactor operated at 95°C to 110°C under 28 inches Hg deep vacuum. Thermal agitation strips trace moisture to <0.25% while maximizing adsorptive interaction between clay active sites and coloring bodies.
Pressure Leaf & Security Polish Filtration
Bleached oil is pumped through vertical pressure leaf filters (VPLF) operating under 3.5 bar. Spent bleaching earth forms an impermeable cake and is vibrated dry. The crystal-clear oil passes through 5-micron security guard cartridges to ensure complete optical brilliance.
Refining Mass Balance (1,000 kg Crude Oil Basis)
Adsorption Reagent Ratios & Finished Yields| Process Stream | Type | Mass (kg) / Dosage | Analytical Specification | Industrial Utilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Castor Oil Feedstock | FEED | 1,000 kg | FFA 1.5%–2.0%, Moisture <0.50% | From Oil Mill Continuous Expelling |
| Tonsil Bleaching Earth & Carbon | REAGENT | 17.5 kg – 25.0 kg | High-surface active montmorillonite + Carbon | Adsorption of carotenoids & phosphatides |
| Refined Castor Oil (FSG / BSS) | PRODUCT | 960 kg (96%) | FFA <1.0%, Lovibond 20Y+2R, IV 82–90 | High-Grade Resins, Lubricants & Derivatives |
| Spent Bleaching Earth Cake | BYPRODUCT | 22 kg (2.2%) | Dry spent clay with adsorbed pigments | Safe industrial solid recovery / cement blending |
| Foots Recycle Stream | RECYCLE | 25 kg (Circular) | Suspended meal fines & heavy triglycerides | Recycled into Expellers (100% Oil Recovery) |
Castor Oil Derivatives & Co-Products Manufacturing
Precision catalytic hydrogenation, alkaline saponification, sulphuric acidulation, and spent lye vacuum distillation synthesizing Hydrogenated Castor Oil (HCO), 12-Hydroxystearic Acid (12-HSA), Refined Glycerin, and Sodium Sulphate Anhydrous.
📋 Reaction Stoichiometry & Operating Conditions
Catalytic Hydrogenation to HCO Wax
1,000 kg of Refined FSG Castor Oil is reacted with 92 Nm³ of high-purity hydrogen gas under 3.0 to 5.0 bar pressure in the presence of 1.2 kg active supported Nickel catalyst at 140°C–180°C. Double bonds are selectively saturated, yielding 1,000 kg of hard white HCO wax.
Alkaline Hydrolysis (Saponification)
1,000 kg molten HCO is continuously fed into the saponification reactor and reacted with 150 kg of 30% caustic soda (NaOH) solution. The triglyceride ester linkages are cleaved, producing sodium 12-hydroxystearate soap and releasing free glycerin in an aqueous medium.
Acidulation & 12-HSA Flaking
The soap is acidulated with 190 kg of 60% sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) and washed with 400 kg demineralized water. The mixture separates cleanly into an organic fatty acid layer (940 kg 12-HSA chilled and flaked on rotary drums) and an aqueous spent lye layer containing glycerin and sodium sulphate.
Spent Lye Evaporation & Salt Recovery
The spent lye aqueous phase (92 kg Glycerin + 250 kg Na₂SO₄ + 850 kg H₂O) is neutralized and concentrated in multi-effect evaporators. Centrifugal crystallization separates 250 kg of high-purity Sodium Sulphate Anhydrous, while the concentrated glycerin is high-vacuum distilled to produce 69 kg of 99.5% Refined Glycerin.
Derivatives Stoichiometric Mass Balance (1,000 kg FSG Basis)
Full Chemical Input / Output Material Accounting| Material Component | Stream Type | Quantity / Consumption | Stoichiometric Specification | Industrial Output / Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refined FSG Castor Oil Feed | RAW FEED | 1,000 kg | Iodine Value: 82 – 90 units | Feedstock for Catalytic Hydrogenation |
| High-Purity Hydrogen Gas (H₂) | REAGENT | 92 Nm³ (approx. 8.2 kg) | Purity > 99.9% H₂ gas | Selective double-bond saturation |
| Supported Nickel Catalyst | CATALYST | 1.2 kg / MT | Active reduced Nickel | Heterogeneous hydrogenation catalyst |
| Hydrogenated Castor Oil (HCO) | INTERMEDIATE | 1,000 kg (100%) | Iodine Value < 4.0, MP 84°C–88°C | Commercial Castor Wax / Feed for Saponification |
| Caustic Soda (NaOH 30% Sol.) | REAGENT | 150 kg | 30% Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide | Alkaline ester bond hydrolysis |
| Sulphuric Acid (H₂SO₄ 60%) | REAGENT | 190 kg | 60% Technical Sulphuric Acid | Acidulation of sodium ricinoleate soap |
| Demineralized Wash Water | UTILITY | 400 kg | Conductivity < 10 µS/cm | Removal of trace salt and free acid |
| 12-Hydroxystearic Acid (12-HSA) | PRIMARY PRODUCT | 940 kg (94.0%) | Melting Point Min. 74°C, Acid > 175 | Premium Lithium Complex Greases & Polymers |
| Handling / Moisture Losses | PROCESS LOSS | 19 kg (1.9%) | Evaporative moisture & filter wash | Process evaporation and scrubber venting |
| Refined Glycerin (USP / Tech) | CO-PRODUCT | 69 kg (6.9%) | Purity Min. 99.5%, Colour APHA < 20 | Pharmaceutical, Alkyd Resins & Cosmetics |
| Sodium Sulphate Anhydrous | CO-PRODUCT | 250 kg (25.0%) | Purity Min. 99.40% Na₂SO₄, White Crystal | Detergents, Glass & Textile Dyeing |