| abstract |
The present invention relates to improved methods for refining vegetable oils and byproductsnthereof. In an organic acid refining process, vegetable oil is combined with a dilute aqueousnorganic acid solution and subjected to high shear to finely disperse the acid solution in the oil.nThe resulting acid-and-oil mixture is mixed at low shear for a time sufficient to sequesterncontaminants into a hydrated impurities phase, producing a purified vegetable oil phase. |