Soybean

Experiment 4 – Extraction of Soybean Oil

Objectives

The objectives of this experiment are to review the mechanisms and operations of oil extraction. The yield of oil using different volumes of solvent are calculated and compared.

Introduction

Oil comes from plants sources whereas fats come from animal sources. Fats and oil have the highest energy source among the three macronutrients which are carbohydrates, proteins and fats and it contribute of 9 kcal/ g. Oils are normally in liquid form whereas fat are at solid state at ambient temperature. Oils can be extract from seeds of plants such as corn, sunflower, canola or fruits from oil-bearing trees such as olive, coconut and palm. This experiment will be discussing specifically of extraction of oil from soybean.

Soybean oil contains significant amount of unsaturated acids which comprised of α-linolenic acid, linoleic, γ-linolenic, arachidonic acid, oleic acid and also saturated fatty acids such as palmitic and stearic acid as well as tocopherols and β-carotene. This component has major roles in human nutrition. It is found that soybean oil extracts are able to ease the pain of arthritis patients. Oil also adds flavor, lubricity, texture and satiety to foods. It does not only found in food but it is also the raw material to manufacture paint, soap, insecticides, wetting and stabilizing agent (Nikolić et al., 2009)

Extraction of soybean oil extracts can be done by several methods such as mechanical and chemical means. However, mechanical means like hydraulic presses are not much used due to the high cost and low yield of oil produced. Soybeans oil are normally extracted by solvents. The production consists of several steps such as cleaning of soybeans, extraction of soybean oil, purification of soybean and extra optional step which is hydrogenation of soybean oil. Soybeans need to be cleaned dried and dehulled before oil extraction begins. This is because that soybeans are able to absorb oil and gives a...