How can the rice bran oil pretreatment process effectively improve the oil yield?

How to improve rice bran oil yield through pretreatment? Key process analysis and practical optimization solutions

Why is it difficult to increase the oil yield of rice bran oil?

Rice bran, known as a "treasure trove of nutrients," has an oil content of approximately 16%–22%. However, due to the strong lipase activity in rice bran, it is easily rancid. Improper handling not only reduces oil yield but also affects oil quality. For rice bran oil processing plants, scientific pretreatment is key to improving oil yield and economic benefits.

Analysis of key pretreatment steps

1. Bran separation: remove impurities to ensure the purity of raw materials

Separating rice husk powder and impurities from rice bran improves its purity. Excessive impurities can reduce oil yield and increase impurity levels in the oil. Maintaining a separation efficiency above 90% lays a solid foundation for subsequent processes.

2. Stabilization treatment: inhibiting enzyme activity to extend the shelf life of raw materials

Heat or steam is used to inhibit lipase activity and prevent rice bran from becoming rancid in a short period of time. If not stabilized in time, the acid value of rice bran may rise sharply within 24 hours, resulting in oil loss.

3. Conditioning: Optimize physical state and increase oil release rate

Adding water and heating can improve the plasticity and oil absorption of rice bran. Even conditioning can make the oil cell walls easier to break and improve the extraction efficiency.

4. Tabletting: ensuring the smooth progress of subsequent pressing process

Pressing rice bran into thin flakes increases the contact area during extraction. Uniform flake thickness facilitates solvent penetration and reduces residual oil. Flake thickness is typically maintained at 0.3–0.4 mm.

Process comparison data: Improved oil yield due to pretreatment optimization

Assistance with automation control and equipment upgrades

With the advancement of automation technology, rice bran oil pretreatment has gradually introduced continuous stabilization equipment, automated conditioning systems, and high-efficiency tablet presses. These devices not only reduce manual errors but also stabilize process parameters, increasing oil yield by 2%–3% while reducing energy consumption. For large and medium-sized oil mills, investing in advanced equipment means faster payback and greater market competitiveness.

Optimization of practical solutions

• Accurately control the stabilization temperature and time: maintain the steam temperature at 105-115°C for 3-5 minutes to prevent overheating and damage to the oil.
• Regular calibration of conditioning equipment: ensure uniform humidification and avoid hot spots that affect oil release.
• Even distribution of tableting pressure: Multi-point pressure sensor monitoring is used to achieve consistent sheet thickness.
• Automatic cleaning of raw material impurities: Strengthen the separation of bran and chaff, reduce the entry of impurities into the oil, and improve oil quality stability.

Future Trend Outlook

In the future, rice bran oil pretreatment will rely more on intelligent and green processes. For example, the use of low-temperature stabilization, online quality monitoring, and energy-saving tableting technology will not only further increase oil yield, but also improve the nutritional retention and market competitiveness of rice bran oil.

Improving rice bran oil yield depends largely on the effectiveness of pretreatment. Each step, including bran separation, stabilization, conditioning, and flaking, impacts both oil yield and quality. For oil mills, optimizing process design, combining appropriate equipment with meticulous production control, can significantly boost yields and profitability.

👉 If you are planning to build a rice bran oil production line, please contact us. We can provide you with a suitable pretreatment solution to help you increase the oil yield and reduce costs.