You're likely aware that degumming is the first critical step in edible oil refining—but do you know how much your process efficiency hinges on just three variables? Understanding how temperature, pH, and stirring speed interact can mean the difference between smooth downstream operations and costly bottlenecks.
A well-executed degumming step removes phospholipids, proteins, and other gums that cause instability during storage or further refining stages. According to industry data from the International Society of油脂 Chemists (ISOC), up to 70% of refinery downtime is linked to poor degumming—especially when dealing with soybean or rapeseed oils where gum content ranges from 0.5% to 2.5%.
If your oil shows signs of cloudiness after degumming or fails to separate cleanly in the settler, it’s not just a quality issue—it’s a systemic one affecting bleaching, deodorization, and even final product shelf life.
| Method | Best For | Typical Parameters | Pros & Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Hydration | Soybean, sunflower, canola | Temp: 50–65°C | pH: 6.5–7.0 | Stir: 50–100 rpm | Low cost, no acid residue — but sensitive to water quality |
| Acid Treatment | High-phospholipid oils like cottonseed | Temp: 60–75°C | pH: 3.5–4.5 | Stir: 80–150 rpm | More efficient removal — but requires neutralization |
Temperature controls viscosity and reaction kinetics. At temperatures below 50°C, phospholipids don’t hydrate effectively—leading to incomplete separation. Above 75°C, thermal degradation begins to occur, especially in delicate oils like olive or flaxseed.
pH dictates ionization state: too low (below 3.5) causes excessive soap formation in acid degumming; too high (above 7.5) results in poor hydration in water-based methods. The sweet spot? A stable range of 6.5–7.0 for water degumming and 3.8–4.2 for acid treatment.
Stirring speed must be optimized—not just for mixing, but for droplet coalescence. Too slow (<50 rpm), and gums remain suspended. Too fast (>150 rpm), and emulsification increases, making separation harder. Industry benchmarks suggest 80–120 rpm as ideal for most applications.
One Chinese processor using soybean oil reported persistent cloudiness post-degumming. Upon inspection, they were operating at 45°C with pH 7.8 and stirring at 60 rpm—outside all recommended ranges. After adjusting to 62°C, pH 6.8, and 95 rpm, their oil clarity improved by over 90%, reducing filter clogging in subsequent steps by 60%.
This isn’t an isolated case. Our team at QI’E Group has helped over 30 refineries worldwide resolve similar issues through targeted parameter tuning—and we’ve seen average yield improvements of 3–5% across clients who adopt these protocols.
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