The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Nestec S.a.

Francis E Luddy

James W Hampson

Samuel F Herb

Herbert L Rothbart

Sergio Longhi

A process for the fractionation of fats and oils in which the fat or oil is dissolved in a binary azeotropic solvent mixture. The solvent containing the dissolved fat is cooled to a first temperature to crystallize a high melting stearine fraction, and the high melting stearine fraction is removed from the solvent-crystal mixture. If the fractionation process has for its objective the production of a high melting fat and a lower melting fat (oil), the fractionation process is terminated at this point. However, if an intermediate melting solid fraction is the objective, it is desirable in the first crystallization step to remove a smaller portion of high melting stearine fraction and then to cool the remaining solution to a second temperature lower than the first to crystallize an intermediate melting solid fraction. The second crop of crystals is removed from the solvent-crystal mixture by filtration or decantation. The second crystal fraction is of lower melting point than the first fraction and the intermediate melting point fraction has physical properties similar to those of cocoa butter. The fat recovered from the remaining filtrate solution is an oil. The fractionation can be carried out by batch or continuous process.

Obtaining a fat fraction with azeotropic solvents

Fat fractions are produced by a process for the fractionation of fats and oils in which the fat or oil is dissolved in a binary azeotropic solvent mixture. The solvent containing the dissolved fat is cooled to a first temperature to crystallize a high melting stearine fraction, and the high melting stearine fraction is removed from the solvent-crystal mixture. If the fractionation process has for its objective the production of a high melting fat and a lower melting fat (oil), the fractionation process is terminated at this point. However, if an intermediate melting solid fraction is the objective, it is desirable in the first crystallization step to remove a smaller portion of high melting stearine fraction and then to cool the remaining solution to a second temperature lower than the first to crystallize an intermediate melting solid fraction. The second crop is crystals is removed from the solvent-crystal mixture by filtration or decantation. The second crystal fraction is of lower melting point than the first fraction and the intermediate melting point fraction has physical properties similar to those of cocoa butter. The fat recovered from the remaining filtrate solution is an oil. The fractionation can be carried out by batch or continuous process. The fat fractions produced are suitable for use as specialty fats in food and non-food applications.

Fat fractions and mixtures thereof

Process for fat fractionation with azeotropic solvents

Beef tallow is partitioned into five well defined fractions, each having its own distinctive fatty acid and glyceride composition and its own distinctive thermal characteristics, by a precise multi-step crystallization. Two of the five fractions are crystalline, one is a plastic solid and two are liquid. One of the liquid fractions accounts for 60% of the tallow and has a variety of uses in the formulation of salad oils, margarines and liquid and plastic shortenings. The composition and properties of the plastic solid fraction are very similar to those of cocoa butter and when it is mixed with cocoa butter it does not produce any significant change in thermal characteristics. In fact, an increment of one of the crystalline fractions or of one of the liquid fractions can be blended with an increment of the solid plastic fraction to make products that are compatible with cocoa butter and that have desirable thermal characteristics. However, when an increment of the other crystalline fraction is blended with an increment of the solid plastic fraction, the resulting product has undesirable thermal characteristics.

Physiochemically designed fat compositions from tallow and process for

Physiochemically designed fat compositions from tallow

Cocoa butter compositions

Multi-step crystallization and blending process for making

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Hatboro, PA, United States of America

Francis E Luddy