Guide to Efficient Sunflower Oil Extraction Process and Equipment

Sunflower oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, is the third most consumed vegetable oil worldwide and is widely used in cooking, salad dressing, and food processing. With the growing trend toward healthy eating, efficient and stable extraction processes have become a core competitive advantage for oil and fat processing companies. We provide comprehensive solutions from raw material processing to refining and bottling, helping companies improve oil yields, ensure product quality, and achieve efficient production.

The complete process of sunflower oil extraction

A complete sunflower oil production line typically includes four core stages: pretreatment, pressing/extraction, refining, and bottling. The scientific design and equipment matching of each link directly determine the final oil quality and economic benefits.

1. Raw material pretreatment: the basis for efficient extraction

Untreated sunflower seeds contain impurities, shells and uneven moisture, which will affect the oil yield and equipment life. Pretreatment mainly includes:

• Cleaning : Use vibrating screens, magnetic separators, and stone removers to remove impurities such as sand, metal, and stones to ensure equipment safety and oil purity.

• Shelling : Sunflower seeds with high oil content need to be shelled to avoid oil loss caused by the shell absorbing the oil. QIE uses a high-efficiency shell-kernel separation screen to ensure that the shell content in the kernel is low.

• Crushing and softening : crush appropriately and adjust the moisture and temperature through the softening pot to prepare for tableting.

• Flaking : Use a hydraulic press to press the seed kernels into 0.3-0.5mm thin slices, destroying the cell structure, shortening the oil path, and improving the extraction efficiency.

QIE advantages: Tower layout and gravity flow design reduce energy consumption; high-performance dust removal system meets modern environmental protection requirements.

2. Oil Extraction: Mechanical Pressing vs. Solvent Extraction

Depending on production capacity requirements, mechanical pressing or solvent extraction, or a combination of "pre-pressing + extraction" processes can be selected.

Mechanical pressing

• Using screw press, strip technology is suitable for pre-pressing sunflower seeds.

• The dry cake has a loose structure, which is conducive to subsequent solvent extraction.

Solvent extraction

• The oil is extracted from the press cake using solvents such as n-hexane.

• Equipped with a horizontal rotary extractor or annular extractor to ensure uniform solvent penetration.

• Mixed oil evaporation and stripping: separation of solvent and crude oil, solvent recovery and reuse, reducing operating costs.

• Wet meal desolventizing: The solvent is recovered through the DTDC desolventizer to obtain high-quality protein meal.

QIE advantages: Patented extraction technology enables high mixed oil concentration and low solvent consumption; equipped with a heat exchange system to recover heat energy, resulting in significant energy savings.

3. Crude oil refining: the key to improving quality

Crude sunflower oil contains gum, free fatty acids, pigments, wax and odor, and needs to be refined to meet national edible oil standards.

Refining process:

1. Degumming : Remove colloidal impurities such as phospholipids to prevent emulsification.

2. Deacidification: Free fatty acids are neutralized through alkali refining to generate soap stock and separate it.

3. Decolorization: Use activated white clay to absorb pigments and improve color.

4. Deodorization: High temperature and high vacuum distillation removes odors and improves stability and flavor.

5. Dewaxing: Low temperature crystallization and filtration to remove wax and prevent low temperature turbidity.

QIE innovative technology: The fully automatic dewaxing system does not require the addition of filter aids, and the by-product edible wax is of high purity, suitable for large-scale commercial operation.

How to choose efficient sunflower oil extraction equipment?

Choosing the right oil pressing equipment and complete line configuration is the prerequisite for achieving efficient production. QIE Group recommends evaluating from the following dimensions:

• Capacity requirement : For 1-20TPD, a small pressing line is recommended; for >20TPD, a pre-pressing-leaching process is recommended.

• Degree of automation : Fully continuous automated production lines can reduce labor and improve stability.

• Energy efficiency design : Prioritize systems with heat recovery, negative pressure evaporation, and efficient solvent recovery.

• Material and durability : Key equipment is made of stainless steel to ensure food safety and long-term operation.

• Service support : Choose suppliers that provide EPC general contracting, installation and commissioning, and technical training to reduce production risks.

Real cases prove our strength: every step from planning to production is trustworthy

• 250TPD rapeseed + sunflower seed composite production line (pre-pressing → leaching → refining → dewaxing → filling full process), achieving uninterrupted and efficient operation throughout the year;
• The 500TPD sunflower seed pre-pressing workshop uses the latest pre-pressing machine, and the dry cake structure is scientific and reasonable, which is conducive to the rapid penetration of solvents;
• The 150TPD continuous refining line enables the production of high-quality oil products with high yield and low loss.

💡 Core Recommendation: Don't overlook the details! Optimizing pretreatment processes, selecting efficient extraction equipment and advanced solvent recovery systems, and establishing a regular maintenance schedule can not only significantly increase oil yields (some customers have reported increases of 5%-8%), but also extend equipment life and reduce failure rates.

Whether you are building a new sunflower oil processing plant or upgrading an old one, we can provide customized sunflower oil production lines to help companies achieve efficient oil production, low residual oil, and high-quality oil products.