Crown Iron Works Company

Edible Lecithin Processing

Lecithin Uses
Number One: Food Products

Chocolate
Margarine
Baking

Lecithin Uses
Number Two: Health Supplement

16% Phosphatidycholine (PC)

14% Phosphatidylethanolamine
(Cephalin or PE)
12% Inositol Phosphatides

Lecithin Uses
Number 3: Industrial Applications

Textiles
Paints
Insecticides

Basic Lecithin Production

Oil Filtration

Special Degumming

Lecithin Processing

Filtration

Removes Hexane Insoluble (HI)

materials.
Commonly performed in extracted
oil stage.

Filtration
Crude Filter 2

Crude Filter 1

Filter Aid

Precoat
Tank

Filter Aid
Hopper

Knife Gate
Dosing
System
Crude
Oil

Precoat
Pump
Filtered
Oil Tank

Cake Hopper

CWR
Slurry
Tank

Filtered
Oil Pump

Cake
Tank
To Extraction
Plant
Cake Pump

CWS

Polish
Filters

Oil To
Degumming
Filtered
Oil Cooler

Filtration

Degumming

Removes phoshatides (gums) from oil

Normally includes bleaching agent
addition
Lecithin quality considerations

Wet Degumming
Hot Water
Tank

Steam
Bleaching
Agent Tank

Hot Water
Pump

Cooling Water
Return

Hydration Tank

Bleaching
Agent Pump

Crude Oil
From
Extraction
Trim
Cooler/Heater

Oil/Water Mixer

Cooling
Water

Steam
To Vacuum
System

Shock Heater

Hydrated
Oil Pump

Steam
Degummed
Oil Heater

Oil
Dryer

Cooling Water
Return
Degummed Oil
To Storage

Centrifuge

Gums Pump

Degummed
Oil Pump

Cooling Water

Degumming

Lecithin Processing & Storage

Removes moisture

Dark color, high viscosity, AV concerns

Viscosity & acid value correction

Lecithin Drying
Gums from
Degumming
Centrifuge

Steam

Water
Vacuum
System

Gums
Tank

Lecithin
Dryer

Steam

Gums Pump
Condensate

Lecithin Cooler
To Storage
Tempered
Water In
Tempered
Water
Overflow

Lecithin
Discharge Pump

Tempered
Water Tank

Tempered
Water Pump

To Hotwell

Lecithin Dryer

Lecithin Dryer

Lecithin Commercial Specifications

Fluid
Natural
Lecithin
Acetone-insolubles, min (%)
Moisture, max (%)
Hexane-insolubles, max (%)
Acid value, max
Color, Gardner, max (diluted)
Viscosity, poises, @ 77F, max

62
1
0.3
32
10
150

Plastic
Natural
Lecithin
Acetone-insolubles, min (%)
Moisture, max (%)
Hexane-insolubles, max (%)
Acid Value, max
Color, Gardner, max (diluted)
Penetration, max (mm)

65
1
0.3
30
10
22

Fluid
Bleached
Lecithin
62
1
0.3
32
7
150

Plastic
Bleached
Lecithin

Fluid
DoubleBleached
Lecithin
62
1
0.3
32
4
150
Plastic
DoubleBleached
Lecithin

65
1
0.3
30
7
22

Courtesy AOCS Lecithin, edited by Bernard F. Szuhaj and Gary R. List, Copyright, 1985.

65
1
0.3
30
4
22

Additional Lecithin Uses and Processes

Blended lecithins

Deoiled lecithin

Fractionated lecithins

Economics of Lecithin Production

Lecithin value

Increased hull use value

Lecithin Value

Operating costs plus meal opportunity

costs around $0.19/lb.
Fluid lecithin market value $0.28/lb
Economic benefit of $800,000 annually
for 3,000 TPD crush

Hidden Meal Value

In protein control situation, 1.23 lbs hulls

can be added per lb of gums removed
Provides substantial benefit equal or
greater than lecithin alone

Crown Iron Recent

Lecithin Intallations

ADM Helena (600 tpd oil, 29 tpd lecithin).

Helena, Arkansas, USA
Chai Tai Harbin (60 tpd oil, 6 tpd lecithin).
Harbin, China
Chai Tai Jiamusi (60 tpd oil, 6 tpd lecithin).
Jiamusi, China
Southseas Oil (200 tpd oil, 8 tpd lecithin).
Shenzhen, China
CF Processing (200 tpd oil, 5 tpd lecithin).
Creston, Iowa USA