Steam refining of fatty oils to reduce the partially high free fatty acid content of certain crude oils before conventional refining has been practiced in Europe for many years. Intensive laboratory testing indicated that crude palm oil could be pretreated to remove trace metals and certain heat resistant organic compounds. This pretreated oil could then be steam refined and simultaneously steam deodorized to produce a high quality finished edible oil. Analytical data on crude and finished oil quality and operating yields are presented to illustrate the steam refining/deodorization process. Laboratory results obtained by steam refining a variety of other oils also are presented.

The technique of continuous refining of oils and fats has steadily improved since the first commercial installation some 30 years ago. Refining is the most important economic factor in the overall processing of an oil from the crude to the finished product. Crude oil handling, reagent selection, mixing, heating, and centrifugal separation are all critical when an attempt is made to obtain the maximum refining efficiency. The agronomist, scientist, control laboratory and operating personnel, along with the equipment manufacturers, have all aided in obtaining more efficient and economical processing methods. In a discussion of the over‐all refining process, soapstock handling must also be considered. In recent years several successful continuous soapstock acidulation plants have been installed. With this addition to a refinery, the refining operation can now truly be considered as a continuous process. Like most industrial processes, this has been an evolution from the batch system to a semicontinuous system up to the present continuous treatment of soapstock and wash water to produce a high‐purity acid oil on an economical basis. Details of the various factors in refining and aeidulation on a commercial basis, along with control methods, are discussed.

World-wide use of sunflower oil is second only to soybean oil. Interest in domestic use as a premium salad oil is very recent. The high ratio of polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acids makes sunflower oil a premium salad oil. Sunflower oil, however, contains a small amount of high melting wax which must be removed to avoid settling problems. It is possible to produce a brilliant, dewaxed, deodorized sunflower oil with over a lO0-hr cold test at 0 C. This quality oil can be produced by conventional caustic refining, dewaxing, bleaching and deodorization. A quality finished oil may also be produced by dewaxing and steam refining. This paper reviews various methods for processing sunflower oil from the crude state through the finished, dewaxed, deodorized salad oil.

Summary A new continuous process for the manufacture of soap is described, detailing the three main operations in soapmaking, that is, saponification, washing, and fitting. In the new process all operations involved in the production of soap are carried out in a hermetically closed system. The amounts of lye necessary for the saponification as well as of brine for the washing and fitting operations are regulated by the automatic constant‐composition control system, which eliminates the older method of control of the soapmaking process by cumbersome chemical analyses. The process is based on the use of the Hermetic separator, a centrifuge of special design which allows the regulation of the separation efficiency during operation and which prevents any admixture or contact of the soap with air and consequently any oxidation of the product during processing. All type of soap, high grade toilet soap as well as laundry soap and industrial soaps, can be produced by this process, which is characterized by high flexibility, low operation‐costs, and a high quality of the finished product.

Conclusion A continuous proces for refining crude coconut oil has been described. This Hermetic system provides a means for continually controlling the variables of time, temperature, and reagent on a scientific, predictable basis. By utilizing the phase diagram as a guide for the correct conditions and employing a continuous process designed to maintain these conditions, it is always possible to obtain high yield refining results on crude coconut oil.