Membrane degumming and dewaxing of rice bran oil and its refining

A combined degumming-dewaxing batch by filtration through a ceramic membrane followed by earth bleaching and physical or alkali refining was studied for crude rice bran oil. The results were compared with the conventional centrifugal process for gum and wax removal. The characteristics of the refined ails obtained by the two processes were comparable. However, the former process was promising with respect to higher recovery of oil and better recovery of the byproducts gum and wax. Oil content of the mixed gum-wax phase was 7.6-8.1%. The recovery of oil using the membrane technique was always 2-3% higher than the centrifugal process. The membrane process was also found to be more effective and the quality of the final product was acceptable.