Crude Palm Oil:

Crude oil is typically shipped for refining to establishments engaged in the production of edible vegetable oils, shortening, and margarine. Crude vegetable oils contain small amounts of naturally occurring materials such as proteinaceous material, free fatty acids, and phosphatides. Phosphatides are removed for lecithin recovery or to prepare the crude oil for export.

The most common vegetable oil refining method is by reacting it with an alkali solution which neutralizes the free fatty acids and reacts with the phosphatides. These reacted products and the proteinaceous materials are then removed by centrifuge.

The oil is washed with water to remove residual soap, caused by saponification of small amounts of the triglycerides (oil). Color-producing substances within the oil (i.e., carotenoids, chlorophyll) are removed by a bleaching process, which employs the use of adsorbents such as acid-activated clays.

Volatile components are removed by deodorization, which uses steam injection under a high vacuum and temperature. The refined oil is then filtered and stored until used or transported.