Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1896
I, MARIE CHARLES ALFRED RUFFIN, Chemist, of No. 14 Rue de Téhéran,
Paris, France do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of an edible fat from cocoa or coprah
oil, which is effected in the following manner.
The oi! which is solid under the temperature of 23° C. is melted and kept at the
melting temperature for about 48 hours, during which time nearly half of the
material assumes a crystalline condition. By filter pressing under moderate
pressure, such as 150 kilos. on the square centimetre, the liquid portion is separated
leaving solid cakes of edible fat. These, or the crude fats before separating the
cakes as above described are purified by treatment with lime, which forms a soap
with the acid ingredients. For this purpose the crude fats or the cakes are melted
and stirred with lime forming an emulsion. This is subjected to evaporation in a
vacuum pan provided with an agitator, the temperature being 20° to 25° C. or
somewhat higher, but care should be taken that it should not be so high as to give
an unpleasant flavour. The lime soap forms in granules from which the melted fat
can be separated by filter pressing or decanting.
Dated this 25th day of January 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, MARIE CHARLES ALFRED RUFFIN, Chemist, of No. 14 Rue de Téhéran,
Paris, France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly.described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Numerous processes have been proposed for removing the odour from cocoa or
coprah oil and rendering it edible, but cocoa butter has never become an article
of general consumption because it melts at a comparatively low temperature,
about 23° (%, so that it cannot be retained in a solid condition fit for transport,
especially in summer.
In order to obviate this inconvenience I take advantage of a property of cocoa
oil that it does not solidify in a homogeneous mass but crystallises several times at
different temperatures. Having observed the various phases of the crystallisation,
I have found that at the temperature of about 23° C., the fusing point of ordinary
cocoa oil, part of it crystallises in the midst of the mass and that this, separated by
pressure from the liquid, has all the characteristics of stearine separated from the
olëic ingredients. The solid thus prepared does not melt under the higher
temperature 31° C., and sets at 28° C.; it is therefore adapted better than cocoa oil
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page_text: In order to prepare this new product, cocoa oil is heated to fusion, then it is left
to crystallise at the constant temperature of 23° C. for about 48 hours; the longer
the time the larger is the product. When the crystals are completely formed
the whole is treated in a press like stearine but at lower pressure, such as
150 kilos. per square centimetre, dry cakes being thus obtained amounting to about
45 per cent. of the mass treated. These cakes are then melted again and purified,
and the purified material, is run into moulds of any desired form, the product being
fit for transport without requiring the precautions necessary for ordinary cocoa
butter, which must be kept in hermetically.closed cases.
The liquid oil pressed out has lost none of its useful qualities, but it contains
almost all the fatty acids which give to cocoa and coprah their peculiar odour, as
well as the volatile or soluble glycerides, some of which readily oxidise, producing
bodies of disagreeable odour and pungent flavour.
The operation of purifying the new product consists of two steps, the removal of
the insoluble fatty acids, and the removal of those that are soluble, and it may be
effected either before the extraction of the solid product from cocoa oil, or after
its extraction. I prefer the latter mode because most of the fatty acids and
glycerides having been separated with the pressed out liquid, the purification is
greatly simplified. The process for purifying cocoa oil applies also to the new
solid product from it. Usually calcined magnesia or lime in pulverulent form is
used for this purpose. Lime is preferable on account of its cheapness, its rapid
and more complete action, but hitherto its use has scarcely been practicable
because it forms a magma which cannot be dealt with by the filter press without
employing very high pressures, and even then the lime retains a considerable
quantity of oil which is lost, unless the product be long boiled, in which case the
character of the oil is deteriorated by the heat. I have found that the production
of the objectionable magma depends on the presence of water which I remove in
the following manner:
After treating with lime either the new product or the cocoa oil and thoroughly
mixing, I evaporate in a vacuum pan like that used for sugar, provided with an
agitator and externally heated. With a good vacuum, evaporation proceeds
rapidly at a temperature of 20° to 25° C., but, in order to save time, the tempera-
ture may be somewhat higher, care being taken that it shall not be such as to
deteriorate the product. The water readily evaporates, the lime soap soon forming
in granules which fall to the bottom of the pan, separating completely from the
oil. If the evaporation is continued till the material is quite free from water, the
lime soap, separates as a sediment. This separation is so complete that it is not
necessary to filter press; I prefer, however, to stop the evaporation when the lime
granulates, and then to filter, which presents no difficulties. The soluble fatty
acids can then be removed by any of the known processes for that purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described manufacture of an edible fat from cocoa or coprah oil,
by purifying the oil with lime, and evaporating in vacuo with agitation, with or
without subsequent filtration.
2. The modified manufacture, by heating the oil to its fusing point, allowing it,
to crystallise at about that temperature, separating the liquid by pressure, and
purifying the solid residue with lime, and evaporating in vacuo with agitation,
with or without subsequent filtration.
3. The edible fat manufactured as above set forth.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.