Coconut oil
Coconut oil is extrated from the white flesh of the coconut. The residual meal is called copra meal.
Coconut oil will vary in quality depending on whether the copra was dried with direct or indirect heat.
Coconut oil is saturated, and therefore will solidify at temeratures below 22 degrees C (72 degrees F), which makes it inconvenient to feed to animals.
PowerStance is powdered coconut oil suitable for use as an animal feed.
Coconut oil extraction. The dry process
Coconut oil is one of the main traditional products derived from the meat or kernel of the coconut. It is a mixture of chemical compounds called glycerides containing fatty acids and glycerol. The different fatty acids present in coconut range from C6-C18 carbon atom chains, with the majoriry as medium chain triglycerides (MCT).
Coconut oil processing methods or technologies are classified into two major types: the dry and the wet processes. The oil extraction technology which starts with copra as the raw material is termed as the dry process, while the method that uses fresh coconuts as starting material is generally called the wet process.
Dry processing of copra for oil production involves the conversion of the white coconut meat into copra prior to expelling and refining. The copra is usually produced on farm, and the dry copra transported to the oil mill. At the mill, the copra undergoes the following steps:
1) Cleaning: Copra is cleaned of any contaminants, metals, dirt, plastic bags and other foreign matter
2) Crushing: Copra is hammermilled into fine particle sizes
3) Cooking/Conditioning: The crushed copra that has about 5-6 percent moisture is passed through a steam-heated cooker. This brings the temperature of the copra to the conditioning temperature of about 104oC (220oF). At the conditioner, the copra is maintained at about 104-110oC (220-230oF) for about 30 minutes to insure uniform heat penetration before oil extraction, and for mobilisation of the oil. Moderately high temperature facilitates the expelling action. Oil is able to flow out more easily due to decrease in viscosity of the oil. Moisture content of copra is about 3 percent when it leaves the conditioner.
4) Oil extraction: the copra is pressed in a mechanical, high pressure expeller to remove the oil. The temperature of the oil should be kept at about 93-102oC (200-215oF) to produce light coloured oil and effect good extraction. Mechanical extraction produces approximately 70% coconut oil, and 30% copra meal. The copra meal is hammermilled, analysed, and if of suitable quality, is packaged as CoolStance.
5) Screening: The oil extracted in the expeller flows into the screening tanks to remove the entrained foots from the oil. While travelling across the screen, oil is drained out of the foots. The filtered oil flows into a surge tank from where it is finally pumped to the coconut oil storage tank.
6) Filtration: The oil is passed through a plate and frame filter press to further remove the solids in the oil. The filtered oil is finally pumped to the coconut oil storage tank.
Coconut oil produced from good quality copra is clear, low in fatty acid and has good coconut aroma. However crude coconut oil from bad quality copra is dark; turbid; high in free fatty acids (FFA), phosphatides and gums; has an unpleasant odour. To render this oil edible, it has to undergo a refining process which involves neutralization, bleaching and deodorizing
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