Expanders for Processing Oil Bearing Seeds ahead of Solvent Extraction Plants

The use of Expanders on Solvent Extraction Plants has been implemented for several years with a high degree of success. Properly cooked and flaked oilseeds are feed into the Expander in presence of controlled temperature, moisture and residence time in order to produce collets, increasing porosity of the surface which improves the solvent (hexane) percolation into the extractor and subsequently the amount of solvent used per ton of seed is being reduced. This reduction allows to use less steam at the distillation system since the amount of solvent to be recovered is less and subsequently the residual solvent in meal and oil are also less. The benefits of the use of Expanders are more than proved worldwide.