Hydrogenation Plant

NECESSITY FOR HYDROGENATION

 Hydrogenated fat is basically a substitute to butter fats.

 High costs of butter fat and its poor storage stability were
detrimental factors that led to the investigation of alternative
sources of hard fats.
 This investigation led to the invention of catalyzed H2 addition
across unsaturated sites of oils and fats and was quickly
commercialized.
 Conversion of liquid oils to solid and semi-solid fats having wide
spectrum of physical & chemical characteristics of products were
thus obtained.
WHAT IS HYDROGENATION ?

 Hydrogenation is a process that reduces unsaturated fatty acid

content of triglycerides by attaching hydrogen atoms at the point of
unsaturation in the presence of catalyst, usually Nickel.
 Hydrogenation accomplishes two things-:
 1.It increases the melting point of the oil or fat.
 2.Resistance to oxidation and flavor deterioration.
 Hydrogenation process depends on several parameters:
 Pressure, Temperature, Type of catalyst, Speed of agitation etc.
MECHANISM

 The mechanism involved in fat hydrogenation is believed to be the

reaction between unsaturated liquid oil and molecular hydrogen adsorbed
on a metal catalyst.
 It is similar to hydrogenation of alkenes.
REQUIREMENTS
FLOW SHEET OF HYDROGENATION
INDUSTRIAL PROCESS

 The stored OIL is drawn by a pump through a storage tank to PHE

where the preheating of incoming oil is done.
 The main hydrogenation reaction occurs in autoclave where the oil
reacts with H2 in presence of catalyst (Ni) to become a hard oil.
 After reaching the desired temp (160 0C) the oil is drawn into the
autoclave where the whole oil mass is mixed with the catalyst Ni
(0.1%)
INDUSTRIAL PROCESS

 From the autoclave the hard oil is fed to the drop tank where it gets
cooled to around 120-1300C by the incoming Oil (60-650C).
 After precooling in drop tank, the hard oil is cooled in a cooler
where cold water is passed through a coil. For uniform cooling the
agitator rotates at a speed of 140 rpm.
INDUSTRIAL PROCESS

 Filtration is done in a candle filter at 70-750C where the metal (Ni)

impurities get separated from the hard oil. Thus the hard oil is fed to
the storage tank for further processing.
 The separated catalyst from candle filter is fed to the catalyst mixer
where it is mixed with oil & filteraid to be added into the autoclave
as spent catalyst.
 After filtration the hard oil or Vanaspati (650C-750 C) is stored in a
tank.
REACTION CONDITIONS
FACTORS AFFECTING HYDROGENATION
MONITORING END OF REACTION
MONITORING END OF REACTION