| US 7,494,679 B2 | ||
| Method and apparatus for processing vegetable oil miscella, method for conditioning a polymeric microfiltration membrane, membrane, and lecithin product | ||
| Bassam Jirjis, Plymouth, Minn. (US); Harapanahalli S. Muralidhara, Plymouth, Minn. (US); and Dennis D. Otten, Elk River, Minn. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Cargill Incorporated, Wayzata, Minn. (US) | ||
| Filed on Oct. 04, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/958,714. | ||
| Application 10/958714 is a continuation of application No. 10/202294, filed on Jul. 23, 2003, granted, now 6,833,149. | ||
| Application 10/202294 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/483346, filed on Jan. 14, 2000, abandoned. | ||
| Application 09/483346 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/231692, filed on Jan. 14, 1999, granted, now 6,207,209, filed on Mar. 27, 2001. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0118313 A1, Jun. 02, 2005 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. A23D 9/02 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 426—330.6 [426/417; 426/422; 554/175; 554/177; 210/650; 210/651] | 19 Claims |
| 1. A method for processing vegetable oil miscella, the method comprising steps of:
(a) feeding vegetable oil miscella to a filter for recovery of a permeate stream and a retentate stream, wherein said miscella
comprises vegetable oil solvent and crude vegetable oil containing phospholipids, and said filter comprises a polymeric membrane
having an average pore size of about 0.05μ to about 3μ that is conditioned for selective separation of phospholipids from
said miscella to provide a permeate stream having decreased weight percent of phospholipids compared with the weight percent
of phospholipids provided in said miscella; and
(b) recovering said permeate stream having decreased weight percent of phospholipids compared with the weight percent of phospholipids
provided in said miscella.
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