Solvent extraction is an efficient and reliable extraction to process edible oil from oilseeds and nuts using solvent, with Hexane being the preferred choice. Industrial oil processing for the edible oil generally involves the solvent extraction step which may or may not be preceded by pressing. Hexane-based processes have been in commercial operation for a long time. For such processes, it is possible to achieve oil yields in excess of 95% with a solvent recovery of over 95% which in compare to 60 to 70% oil yield by mechanical expeller pressing. The solvent extraction method will remove all but about ½% of residual oil, uses less energy, and requires less maintenance. It is relatively efficient and reliable, and making it the primary means of separating large tonnages of oil from protein meal.

The Solvent Extraction plant extracts the majority of the oil from the prepared raw material using the counter-current flow of miscella at specified operating temperature for a predefined extraction time frame. Miscella feed flow rate design and specially designed wedge wire screen enable optimum oil recovery.

The extracted meal is transferred to a desolventizer toaster to recover entrained solvent which removed, and desolventised material is conditioned by controlling and adjusting temperature and moisture. Vapours from the DT are taken to the condenser for vapour/solvent condensation and recovery of solvent via the economizer.

Solvent is recirculated after removal of moisture. After fines separation using hydroclones, miscella is fed to the distillation section that comprises an evaporator, heater, and vapour condensing unit. Miscella is transferred to the evaporator via an economizer where it is initially heated up and part of solvent is recovered by utilizing heat of vapours from the desolventizing unit.