How much oil can be produced from one ton of sunflower seeds? — QIE Group explains the key to oil yield

💡 Low oil yields and shrinking profits? Many sunflower oil mills are secretly wasting oil every day. This article will teach you how to squeeze the most out of every ton of sunflower oil with simple adjustments.

Theoretical oil yield of one ton of sunflower seeds

The oil content of sunflower seeds usually ranges from 35% to 50%, depending on the variety, origin and maturity.

📌 Theoretical oil yield: One ton (1000 kg) of sunflower seeds can produce approximately 350~500 kg of oil.

⚠️ Actual output is usually lower than the theoretical value and is affected by raw material quality, processing technology and equipment performance.

💡 Tips: By selecting high-purity raw materials, optimizing pretreatment, and upgrading pressing equipment, you can get as close to the theoretical oil output limit as possible.

Key factors affecting sunflower seed oil yield

1. Raw material quality

• Pure grain rate ≥90% (impurities ≤1.5%), moisture ≤14%.

• Impurities or excessive moisture can result in a 5% to 10% oil loss.

2. Processing technology

• Cleaning, shelling, flaking, and steaming and frying are key steps to increase oil yield.

• Steaming and stir-frying break down the cell structure and release more oil.

3. Pressing and solvent extraction technology

• Screw press : The residual oil rate can be reduced to below 5%.

• Puffing-pre-pressing-extraction combined process : suitable for high-oil-content crops, with higher oil yield.

4. Equipment performance

• Old equipment: Oil output may be less than 300 kg/ton.

• Modern production lines (such as QIE equipment): can be stable at more than 400 kg.

Our equipment and solutions

• High-efficiency pretreatment equipment : Sunflower seed pretreatment line, equipped with oilseed shelling machine, flaking machine and steam cooker, raw material impurities ≤1.5%.

• Advanced pressing and refining system : screw press + full negative pressure evaporation technology, combined with refining production line, ensures clear and transparent oil products.

• Globally verified reliability : exported to 100+ countries, ISO/CE certified, providing installation, commissioning and after-sales guarantee.

❓FAQ

1. What are the advantages of sunflower oil compared to other cooking oils?

Sunflower oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. It has a light flavor and is low in smoke, making it suitable for everyday cooking and high-temperature frying. Compared to some high-saturated fat vegetable oils, it is healthier and meets international market demand.

2. Why is the actual oil yield lower than the theoretical value?

The main reasons are: high impurities in raw materials, excessive moisture, inadequate processes, and outdated equipment, which can all result in a 5% to 10% loss in production.

3. How to improve the oil yield of sunflower oil?

Select high-purity raw materials → Optimize pretreatment process → Use modern screw press → Control steaming and frying temperature and moisture.

4. What is the difference between a screw press and traditional pressing methods?

Traditional pressing has a high residual oil rate and consumes a lot of energy; the residual oil rate of the screw press is ≤5%, which is more suitable for large-scale continuous production, and the oil yield is closer to the theoretical value.

The theoretical oil yield of one ton of sunflower seeds is 350~500 kilograms, but the actual output depends on the synergy of raw materials, processes and equipment.

As a leading manufacturer of edible oil processing equipment, QIE Group is committed to providing customers with:
✅ Higher oil yield ✅ Lower energy consumption ✅ Higher profit

👉 Contact us now and let us help you develop an equipment plan and calculate the oil yield, so that you can extract the maximum oil from every ton of sunflower seeds and achieve rapid profitability!