Patent ID: 6207209
Filing Date: 2001-03-27
Classification: A23G,C11B

Abstract:
A method for removing phospholipids from vegetable oil miscella, the method comprising steps of:(a) feeding vegetable oil miscella to a membrane for recovery of a permeate stream and a retentate stream, wherein said miscella comprises extraction solvent and crude vegetable oil containing phospholipids, and said membrane comprises a polymeric microfiltration membrane conditioned for selective separation of phospholipids from said miscella to provide a permeate stream having decreased weight percent of phospholipids compared with the weight percent of phospholipids provided in said miscella; the polymeric microfiltration membrane being conditioned by a three step conditioning sequence comprising:(i) treating the microfilter with intermediate solvent, the intermediate solvent comprising an alcohol, acetone, or a combination thereof; and(ii) treating the microfilter with a mixture of the intermediate solvent and extraction solvent, the extraction solvent comprising hydrocarbon, ester, halohydrocarbon, or a combination thereof; and(iii) treating the microfilter with the extraction solvent;(b) recovering said permeate stream having decreased weight percent of phospholipids compared with the weight percent of phospholipids provided in said miscella.