Comparative absolute yields of crude and neutral oils from variously prepared cottonseed meats

Abstract

SummaryExperiments utilizing cottonseed meats of diverse origin and composition were conducted for the purpose of determining the effect of the method of meats preparation on the yields of crude and neutral oil obtainable from differently prepared, comparable meats by solvent extraction. Three methods of meats preparation were employed,i. e., simple flaking of raw meats “as is”, tempering of cracked meats prior to flaking, and cooking by the modified hydraulic method developed for use with the filtration‐extraction process. Commercial hexane was used as the extraction solvent. The experiments were carried out by procedures which eliminated the effects of any variables other than the method of preparing the meats for extractionThe results of the studies showed that the method used in preparing cottonseed meats for extraction had a significant effect on the yields of crude oil obtained but that the yields of neutral oil, the valuable constituent of crude oils, were virtually unaffected. Analyses of the crude oils showed that the differences in crude oil yields were caused by the relative amounts of non‐neutral oil materials in the crudes from the differently prepared meats. The greatest yields of crude oil were obtained from raw flakes, intermediate yields from tempered flakes, and the smallest yields from cooked flakes. The impurities content in the respective crude oils followed the same order,i. e., crudes from raw flakes were highest in impurities and lowest in neutral oil, crudes from tempered flakes were lower in impurities and higher in neutral oil, and the crudes from the cooked meats were outstandingly low in impurities and high in neutral oil. Virtually equal amounts of neutral oil were obtained from equivalent quantities of comparable meats regardless of the method used in preparing the meats for extraction.