Sunflower oil obtained by a new device and extraction system using hydrostatic pressing

This study aims to extract sunflower oil using a new hydrostatic pressing system that can operate under different pressures and extraction times. The extraction process was conducted with a press of 50,000 psi (344.74 MPa) capacity. Three different extraction times: 2, 4, and 8 hours, and three different pressures: 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 psi (68.95, 137.89, 206.84 MPa) were tested. A custom reactor was developed for use with the hydrostatic press. The yield, calculated as the ratio of the mass of the obtained oil to the mass of the grain or seed used, and various properties of the oil obtained through hydrostatic pressing were determined. The results show that the yield of vegetable oil increases with both higher pressure and longer extraction times. The maximum oil yield achieved was 45.17% when using 30,000 psi (206.84 MPa) pressure and an 8-hour extraction time. Under these optimal conditions, the oil properties were as follows: an acid value of 0.8 mg KOH/g, a density of 900.7 kg/m3, and a kinematic viscosity of 47.4 mm2/s.