Short Path Distillation

in the Fish Oil Industry

LIST of CONTENTS
Introduction.......................................................................................................... 3
Fish Oils .................................................................................................................. 3
World market Key Figures .......................................................... 4
Omega-3 Oils Nutritional and Health Aspects ............ 4
Applications of Fish Oils .................................................................... 5
Dietary Supplements.................................................................... 5
Functional Foods.............................................................................. 5
Persistent Organic Pollutants POPs ...................................... 5
Dioxin and PCB ................................................................................ 6
Brominated Flame Retardants .............................................. 6
Pesticides .............................................................................................. 6
Short Path Distillation .................................................................................. 6
Technology.................................................................................................... 6
Solutions ........................................................................................................ 7
UIC GmbH .................................................................................................... 8
Applications of SPD........................................................................................ 8
Production of Concentrates ............................................................ 9
Physical Refining ...................................................................................... 9
Stripping of Pollutants ...................................................................... 10
Summary.............................................................................................................. 11
Authors
Michael Albers
Vice President Sales and Process Technology
UIC GmbH, Germany
Jens Peter Graverholt
President
DAX Consult ApS, Denmark
Pictures by courtesy of TripleNine Fish Protein Amba,
Denmark, and Norwegian Seafood Export Council
3
Introduction
Historically, marine oils have played an important role in
human nutrition. In recent centuries, the food industry has
used them as a source of fat, either fully- or partially hy-
drogenated, in various foods as substitutes for traditional
fats with high melting points, such as butterfat, lard and
tallow. However, there is now major interest in marine oils
due to their high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids
and multiple roles in human health. There is an established
market for dietary supplements, plus a developing market
for food ingredients produced from fish oils and concen-
trates of fish oil.
Traditionally, marine oils meant fats and oils from both
fish and mammals, such as whales and seals, but essen-
tially all marine oils today are by-products from the fish-
meal industry, where the raw material is smaller fish with
a relatively high content of fat, such as anchovies.
Within the last few decades, researchers have focused on
the impact of various persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
such as pesticides, dioxins etc, and regulatory bodies such
as the EU have imposed limits. Consequently, interest in
purifying fish oil has developed.
Short path distillation (SPD) offers a range of solutions for
processing and concentrating fish oil and removal of POPs.
UIC GmbH has developed expertise within these applica-
tions and has already supplied several of their SPD plants
to the fish oil industry worldwide.
Fish oils
Fish oils account for about two percent of world consump-
tion of fats and oils. The major producing areas are the
west coast of South America, Asia and Northern Europe.
Fish oils are predominantly by-products from the produc-
tion of fishmeal for the animal and aquaculture feed in-
dustry, and produced from fatty fish such as sardines, an-
chovies, pilchards, menhaden, herring, sand eels and
others. A relatively small proportion of current fish oil pro-
duction specialises in oil production itself, e.g. production
of cod liver oil.
During rendering, the fish are normally steam-cooked and
pressed, and the liquid produced is separated into a fat
phase and a water phase containing protein. The crude fish
oil is stored and transported to a refinery, where the oil is
chemically refined (removal of free fatty acids) and deodor-
ised. Depending on the specific application of the oil, it may
also be winterised to be cold-clear for dietary supplements,
or hydrogenated to an elevated melting point for use in
margarine production.
Depending on the species of fish, their average age, geo-
graphical parameters etc. the content and variety of pollut-
ants varies, as does the necessity for cleaning. Removal of
dioxins/furans, PCBs and pesticides are especially import-
ant for liver oils, such as cod liver oil.
Fig. 2: Fish trawler
Fig. 1: Fish farm
4
World Market Key Figures
Global supply of fish oil is around 1 million tonnes per year,
with the main producers being Peru (31%), Chile (15%)
and the EU (16%). In 2002, fish oil usage ranged from in-
dustrial and edible (human food) to aquaculture with 12,
30 and 56 % respectively. The corresponding projected
figures for 2010 are 7, 14, and 79% respectively, indicating
a steep increase in aquaculture production, with some
traders speculating whether there will be sufficient supplies
for such an expansion. The largest consumer of fish oil is
China, and Norway is the biggest importer.
A recent analysis of the European market for Omega-3 oils
estimated the market still to be at the growth stage of its
product life cycle, with a value of 195 million USD in 2004
and an estimated volume of 13,650 tonnes. The average
price was 14.00 USD/kg, ranging from 2 USD to 300
USD/kg. There are at least 50 active suppliers, but the top
ten participants account for more than 70 percent of the
market. The forecast for 2010 is a market size of nearly 300
million USD, meaning an increase of 53 % over 6 years.
The corresponding volume is nearly 20,000 tonnes, up
44%.
Omega-3 Oils
Nutritional and Health Aspects
Fishermen with a diet rich in cod liver oil experienced some
of the first recorded nutritional benefits from marine prod-
ucts. The fat-soluble vitamins A and D
3
and their impor-
tance to human well-being were subsequently identified,
but it was at a much later stage that the benefits of some
of the fatty acids in marine oils were recognised.
Ever since publication of the research of two Danish doc-
tors Dyerberg and Bang in the 1970s and 80s marine
oil has played an increasingly important role in scientific
nutritional work, focusing especially on their beneficial
health effects ascribed to high content of long-chain poly-
unsaturated fatty acids of 20 C-atoms and more. An ab-
undance of research has demonstrated the positive effects
of fish oils on cardiovascular disease, immune functions,
cognitive function and in other areas, and has sparked
increasing attention around the world.
Fish oils are rich in some of the most important long-chain
poly-unsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) from the Omega-3
group, namely EPA (C20:5, n-3) that are precursors to
some of our hormones (eicosanoids and prostaglandins)
and DHA (C22:6, n-3), an important substance in our ner-
vous tissues. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in veg-
etable oils, e.g. rape seed oil, as the shorter chain alfa-
linolenic acid ALA (C18:3, n-3). A similar Omega-6 group
contains PUFAs of vegetable origin, such as linoleic acid LA
(C18:2, n-6).
A balanced intake of n-3 PUFAs and n-6 PUFAs is import-
ant and should ideally be 1:5 but is quite often as high as
1:10, up to 1:50 in the western world. This is referred to as
a nutritional gap, which should be bridged by adding
more Omega-3 to the diet. Whether ALA will suffice or LC-
PUFAs EPA and DHA are preferable has been researched,
with strong indications that the LC-PUFAs are more effi-
cient.
The recommended daily intake of Omega-3 as stated by
ISSFAL (International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids
and Lipids) is 650 mg/day EPA+DHA, corresponding to
approx. 2 g/day fish oil with 30% EPA+DHA. Fig. 3: Fish oil and fish feed
5
Applications of Fish Oils
Over the years, marine oils, including fish oils, have been
used in many diverse applications ranging from fuel for
the ancient oil lamps to modern furnaces and bio diesel;
and as raw material in paint production and margarine; as
an important ingredient in aquaculture feed, and in many
other applications.
The aquaculture industry is by far the biggest consumer of
fish oil, with China the major producer of farmed fish and
shrimps. Adding the proper Omega-3 fatty acids to fish
feed is necessary, as fish cannot metabolise EPA and DHA
from other fatty acids.
More and more companies are exploiting the possibilities
within dietary supplements and functional foods catering
to a growing group of more health-conscious consumers.
For both these segments, there are high demands for spec-
ifications, quality control and documentation including
rigid requirements for potentially hazardous substances
such as persistent pollutants, heavy metals etc. Similarly,
manufacturers are more concerned about the organolep-
tic qualities of their fish oils in order to avoid consumer
complaints and possible rejection of the product. Sensory
parameters, taste and smell, can easily be measured and
limits of acceptance can be formulated.
Dietary Supplements
This category ranges from traditional types of fish oil, such
as cod liver oil (plain or with added flavour) and fish oil en-
capsulated in gelatine capsules, concentrated fish oil with
elevated levels of EPA and DHA, to formulated products
such as emulsions with added flavour and vitamins. Typi-
cally, promotion and advertising for these products is switch-
ing towards Omega-3 from fish oil and vitamin content.
Specifications for fish oils in this category are often limited
to fatty acid composition (EPA and DHA), oxidation para-
meters (peroxide and anisidin values) and content of free
fatty acids (FFA) and in some cases also taste and odour.
Functional Foods
Within the food industry, functional foods are emerging as
a novel food category, including foods fortified with fish oil
and promoted as containing Omega-3. These products
encompass a wide variety of traditional foods, such as
margarine, milk, bread, cheese, yogurt, and others where
high-quality fish oil is incorporated during processing.
Fish oils utilised in these products must fulfil very specific
demands for fatty acid composition, very low oxidation
parameters (peroxide and anisidin values), high oxidative
stability (e.g. Rancimat) and neutral taste and flavour (no
fish taste or odour).
Persistent Organic Pollutants POPs
POPs are chemical substances that persist in the environ-
ment, bio-accumulate through the food chain, and pose a
risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the en-
vironment. With the evidence of long-range transport of
these substances to regions where they have never been
used or produced, and the consequent threats they pose to
the global environment, several actions to reduce and elim-
inate release of these chemicals have been initiated.
Due to long-range transport, POPs are found in areas close
to civilisation and industry as well as in remote areas close
to the poles. Most POPs are to a high degree fat-soluble,
and as such are incorporated in the fat tissues of smaller
organisms such as algae and zooplankton and further up
in the food chain. So POPs constitute a major problem in
fish oils, especially in fish that are caught as mature adults,
but also in smaller species harvested in polluted waters such
as the Baltic Sea.
Identified POPs are industrial pollutants such as dioxin
(PCDDs), furans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs);
brominated flame retardants (PBDE, HBCD, PBB); and pes-
ticides, such as DDT, Toxaphene, Mirex. For some POPs,
the regulations are very well defined, but for others there
are no currently no official limits.
Fig. 4: Omega-3 is also a functional ingredient
6
Dioxin and PCB
New maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in
foods and feeding stuffs have recently been enacted by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 199/2006 (food) and Com-
mission Directive 2006/13/EC (feed). The new limits will be
effective from 4 November 2006 and may be revised by
the end of 2008.
The maximum levels for dioxins and those for the sum of
dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs, both of which must be com-
plied with, will take effect from November 2006. Exceed-
ing these limits will lead to a ban on the sale of the food
or feedstuff.
For marine oil (fish body oil, fish liver and oils of other
marine organisms) intended for human consumption the
maximum levels are:
For sum of dioxins and furans (WHO-TEQ): 2.0 pg/g fat
For sum of dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs (WHO-
TEQ): 10.0 pg/g fat
The corresponding action thresholds are 1.5 and 6.0 pg/g
fat, respectively. At these levels manufacturers are expect-
ed to take various actions; re-analyse the product, seek
possible paths of contaminations etc.
Target levels for future limits are expected by the end of
2008.
Under Products intended for animal feed the maximum
levels for fish oils are:
For sum of dioxins and furans (WHO-TEQ): 6.0 pg/g fat
For sum of dioxins, furans and dioxins-like PCBs (WHO-
TEQ): 24.0 pg/g fat
The corresponding action thresholds are 6.0 pg/g and
14.0 pg/g fat.
Brominated Flame Retardants
At present, there are no EU-regulations on the content of
brominated flame-retardants in food and feedstuffs. A ban
on certain PBDE formulations has recently been imposed
on the traditional applications in electronic equipment etc.
Furthermore, monitoring of a range of other congeners is
recommended by the European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA) and their environmental impacts are being debated.
Pesticides
In 2005, EU Regulation (396/2005) on maximum residue
levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and ani-
mal origin was passed. Eventually, this regulation in com-
bination with amendments on pesticides and foodstuffs
including fish oils and specific limits for these combina-
tions, will govern the maximum levels for the industry to
adhere to.
Short Path Distillation
Technology
Short Path Distillation often also called molecular dis-
tillation offers the advantage of distillation at consider-
ably reduced pressure and thus reduced evaporation tem-
perature with distillation rates of 100- 200 kg per square
metre evaporator surface area and hour. These economi-
cal distillation rates can be achieved in the fine vacuum
range, i.e. within the pressure range of 10
-3
to 1 mbar.
Short Path Distillation can be applied whenever all other
distillation methods lead to thermal product damage, or if
the vapour pressures of the components to be separated
are so low that evaporation at atmospheric pressure or
rough vacuum would require extremely high temperatures.
The Short Path Distillation plants in current use for indus-
trial production are based on two different technical con-
cepts. In both types of plants, the mixture of substances to
Fig. 5: KDL 5 laboratory plant
7
be evaporated is distributed as a very thin film onto the
evaporator surface.
Centrifugal molecular distillation is being done by means
of a rotating disc. The mixture to be separated is fed into
the centre of the disc. Once the disc is rotated at high
speed, it generates a thin film, which is forced to the outer
edge of the disc. If the disc is heated, the light volatile com-
ponents of the mixture are evaporated. By changing the
rotation speed of the evaporator disc, film thickness and
residence time are influenced. The condenser is located a
short distance from the evaporator disc.
A second way of creating a thin product film is the use of
a Thin Film Evaporator with a mechanical agitation system
to distribute and mix the film as it flows down the evapo-
rator wall. By mixing this film with wiping elements, the
material and heat transfer within the film are additionally
improved. To at least be able to distil in the pressure range
of the fine vacuum, the vapours must have a large cross-
section on their way from the evaporator surface to the
condenser. For this reason, the condenser of a Short Path
Distillator is located at the centre of the apparatus. Using
an external condenser would require a higher operating
pressure to achieve sufficient vapour flow between evapo-
rator and external condenser. The schematic design of a
Short Path Distillator is shown in figure 7.
Solutions
Before a new application for Short Path Distillation is put
into industrial production use, laboratory trials and pilot
trials for scaling up the process have to be performed in
most cases.
Laboratory trials are typically performed using small-scale
glass distillation equipment in order to monitor the behav-
iour of the material during evaporation, e.g. film distribu-
tion on the evaporator surface, mechanical agitation of the
film and possible splashing effects. An example of a labo-
ratory unit of type KDL 5 with a fully heatable evaporator
Fig. 6: KD 6 mini pilot plant
1 Residue nozzle
2 Heating jacket
3 Roller wiper system
4 Vacuum chamber
5 Inner condenser
6 Feed nozzle
7 Motor
8 Shaft with distribution plate
9 Hot oil (in)
10 Hot oil (out)
11 Vacuum nozzle
12 Cooling media (out)
13 Destillate nozzle
14 Cooling media (in)
Fig. 7: Schematic design of a Short Path Distillator
8
is shown in figure 5. Operating temperatures up to 350C
and operating pressures down to 0.001 mbar can be
achieved with this unit. The residue and distillate sections
can be individually heated by circulation of heat transfer
fluid.
As heat transfer through glass is much lower compared to
metal, a scale-up calculation from glass evaporators to
industrial stills, which are mostly produced of stainless
steel, is impractical. Pilot trials on small metal evaporators
have to thus be performed which can achieve similar ope-
rating conditions in terms of pressure, temperature and
specific surface load as for large commercial plants. Mini
pilot plants such as the KD 6 shown in fig. 6 have been in
use for several years, and are becoming increasingly com-
mon for this purpose. Apart from their flexibility, which is
similar to the multi-purpose laboratory units, they recreate
real production conditions. This is why type KD 6 plants are
also used for small-scale production of valuable products.
Compared to laboratory and small pilot equipment, Thin
Film type Short Path Distillators are much more often used
compared to centrifugal molecular stills in large-scale com-
mercial production (see fig. 8). Nowadays, individual Thin
Film apparatuses with evaporation surface areas of more
than 50 m
2
for throughputs of several tons per hour are
manufactured and successfully used in many applications.
UIC GmbH
Until 1989, UIC GmbH was a part of Leybold (Leybold-
Heraeus), based in Hanau, Germany, a world-market leader
in the field of vacuum process technology. Since the early
days of Short Path Distillation using agitated Thin Film eva-
porators in the 1960s, a unique and profound know-how
was gained through the installation of over a thousand
vacuum distillation systems for customers all over the
world. This know-how is now used as the basis of UICs
successful activities in many different applications and is
not only retained by UIC, but is constantly expanded by
Research and Development activities in order to adapt exist-
ing systems to specific customer applications and continu-
ously improve the equipment and distillation processes.
UIC specialises in being able to supply not only the correct
Short Path Distillator for each individual project, but also
exact analysis of the customers application to design and
deliver a customised turnkey plant, including all necessary
secondary equipment.
A range of lab and pilot plants are available for test distil-
lations of customers sample materials at UICs laborato-
ries in Germany. The results of such test distillations are
used to prove that UIC plants will be able to produce pro-
ducts with the specified quality, and form the basis for
design of production plants by scaling-up.
UIC GmbH is very export-oriented with strong market po-
sitions in Asia, Europe and North/South America. Local
representatives of UIC are available in many countries for
optimal communication with UICs customers and to pro-
vide after sales services.
Fig. 8: Short Path Distillation plant for industrial production
9
Applications of SPD
As already mentioned, Short Path Distillation is applied
whenever heat-sensitive substances have to be distilled for
purification, yet other distillation techniques lead to ther-
mal decomposition of the material. Typical examples of
such heat-sensitive products are:
Chemicals
Synthetic vitamins, polyglycerol, UV stabilizers, paraffin waxes
Pharmaceuticals
Intermediates (mostly liquid at ambient temperature), de-
rivatives of alkaloid, e.g. Quinine and THC
Intermediate plastic products
Polyurethane pre-polymers, epoxy resins, acrylates, poly-
ols, plasticizers
Cosmetics
Wool alcohols, wool waxes, fragrances
Mineral oil products
Base and lubrication oils, vacuum residues, waxes
Food ingredients and additives
Monoglycerides, natural tocopherols and tocotrienols, phy-
tosterols, essential oils such as orange oil, ginger oil, jas-
mine oil, pepper oil, fish oil and derivatives thereof.
Fish oil processing by Short Path Distillation basically in-
volves three different types of applications, i.e. production
of concentrates, physical refining, and stripping of pollut-
ants or undesirable minor components, discussed in more
detail in the following:
Production of Concentrates
The content of Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils not only de-
pends on the species of fish itself, but also on the habitat
and season. A typical base material for commercial pro-
duction of Omega-3 concentrates is sardine or anchovy oil
from the Pacific, with a content of approx. 18% EPA and
approx. 12% of DHA. Tuna oil is also used for special DHA
concentrates, as it has up to 25% of DHA in the crude oil.
In general, the concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids in the
crude oil should not be less than 30 % in total.
In literature it is described that fish oil was purified by
molecular distillation as a triglyceride. However, this did
not result in a significant improvement in the concentra-
tion of Omega-3 fatty acids, as they are more or less uni-
formly distributed in the triglycerides. Furthermore, the
distillation of triglycerides requires high temperatures, risk-
ing thermal decomposition or transisomerisation of the
unsaturated fatty acids, and/or a very low operating pres-
sure, which results in uneconomically low specific feed rates.
State of the art for the concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids
by distillation is the fractionation of their ethyl esters. The
latter can be obtained by an interesterification reaction of
the fish oil with ethanol. By subsequent removal of the
short chain fatty acid esters C-14 to C-18 from the ester
mixture by one or more Short Path Distillation steps, a pre-
concentrate fraction is obtained containing mainly C-20
and C-22 fatty acid esters in which EPA and DHA are also
found. The final concentration, achieved using the same
kind of pre-concentrates in a further Short Path Distillator,
can result in total Omega-3 content of up to 70%. The EPA
to DHA ratio mainly depends on their content in the base
material and on the degree of concentration, as EPA ethyl
ester the more volatile compound will also accumulate
in the mid-chain-length fatty acid ester fraction. Rework of
the latter fraction by Short Path Distillation increases the
yield of recovery of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Even at this stage, ethyl esters can be used as consumer
products, e.g. in capsules. However, according to local legis-
lation in some countries, it is necessary to reconvert the
concentrated ethyl esters back to tri-glycerides performing
a second interesterification step with glycerol.
In order to obtain the pure compounds, i.e. EPA and DHA
separately, further separation methods are applied such
as chromatography, selective enzymatic interesterification,
or to some degree also vacuum rectification using special
structured packing material.
Physical Refining
The physical refining of edible oils by molecular distilla-
tion instead of the classic physical or chemical refining
especially the removal of free fatty acid and bad-tasting
and odour-giving components was already reported in
the late 1950s. It was shown that the aforementioned com-
ponents are mainly found in the first fractions of a mol-
ecular distillation at comparably low operating tempera-
tures, i.e. between 80C and 160C. Higher temperatures
10
above 200C lead to removal of heavier compounds
such as vitamins and sterols.
The advantage of physical de-acidification by Short Path
Distillation is the low operating temperature compared to
de-acidification by steam stripping in a classical column,
enabling treatment of heat-sensitive oils. Furthermore, it is
also possible to substitute a chemical de-acidification pro-
cess by Short Path Distillation, avoiding unpleasant soap
handling.
Fig. 9 shows the content of free fatty acid (FFA) given in
mass percent in high oleic sunflower oil depending on the
evaporator jacket temperature of a Short Path Distillator.
The initial FFA content in the crude oil was 5%, the lowest
concentration achievable in this example was 0.1% at 200C.
In general, the removal of free fatty acid by Short Path Dis-
tillation can be performed in a single stage mode of ope-
ration or in a double stage operation, depending on the
initial FFA content and depending on the desired final con-
centration and admissible maximum operating temperature.
Stripping of Pollutants
The removal of PCDF, PCDD, PCBs and PBDE from a
bleached and filtered Norwegian cod liver oil with low FFA
content was investigated by trials on a KD 10 pilot plant,
using an evaporation surface of 0.1 m
2
at UIC's research
and development centre.
In fig. 10, the contents of PCDF and PCDD and dioxin-like
PCB are given in ng/kg toxic equivalents (WHO-TEQ) for
the feed material and for the stripped material at 200C
and 220 C respectively in the fine vacuum range. The
internal condenser temperature was set to 70C to avoid
solidification of the distillate. The values given for the indi-
vidual contents do not include the values of the detection
limits (dl) for congeners, which were below their detection
limit within the analysis.
Feed After SPD
treatment at
200C 220C
Dioxins and Furans PCDD/F 04.28 0.32 0.22
Dioxin-like PCBs, acc. to WHO 21.60 2.14 1.16
Fig. 10: Measured contents excluding detection limits (dl) as ng/kg
TEQ (WHO)
The reduction factors [c(0)/c(e)] for PCDF and PCDD are
13.4 at 200C and 19.5 at 220C. Similar reduction ratios
were achieved for the non-ortho and mono-ortho PCB, in
the range of 10.1 at 200C and 18.6 at 220C.
During the study, it became obvious that the maximum
reduction rate for the different compounds was limited no
matter how high the operating temperature of the Short
Path Distillator jacket was set.
In some distillation series, we used a circulation washing
liquid flowing down the surface of the internal condenser
to avoid solidification of the distillates, e.g. cholesterols.
Under these conditions the reduction factor [c(0)/c(e)] for
PCDF and PCDD was increased from 19.5 to 93.0 and the
reduction ratio for the PCB from 18.6 to 37.9 as given in fig. 11.
Feed After SPD at 220 C
without with
washing washing
Dioxins and Furans PCDD/F 04.28 0.22 0.046
Dioxin-like PCBs, acc. to WHO 21.60 1.16 0.570
Fig. 11: Measured contents excluding detection limits (dl) as ng/kg
TEQ (WHO)
The explanation for this phenomenon is as follows:
PCDF/PCDD and PCB are highly diluted in the fish oil. In
contrast, their concentration on the internal condenser
surface is very high because the distillate only consists of
a few fatty acids and some glycerides. Due to the relatively
high concentration of PCDF/PCDD and PCB in the distil-
late, their vapour pressure at condensation temperature
0
0,2
0,4
0,6
0,8
1
1,2
1,4
1,6
1,8
2
150 160 170 180 190 200 210
temperature [C]
f
f
a
c
o
n
t
e
n
t
[
m
a
s
s
%
]
Fig. 9: Deacidification of sunflower oil by Short Path Distillation
11
cannot be neglected any longer. Even if the internal con-
denser is operated at a temperature 150C lower than the
evaporator jacket temperature, PCDF/PCDD and PCB start
to evaporate back from the internal condenser. This is illus-
trated in fig. 12 based on the removal of the 12 WHO-PCBs.
Thus a certain minimum value cannot be under-run, due
to the vapour pressure of PCDF/PCDD and PCB on the
internal condenser at a given temperature.
The situation changes when washing fluid is used. Because
the components are diluted in the washing fluid, their
vapour pressures above the mixture with the washing fluid
are reduced and the re-evaporation effect is suppressed.
This effect is illustrated in fig. 13.
Similar reduction effects have been observed for PBDE
(poly-brominated diphenyl-ethers) despite the reduction
factors compared to chlorinated compounds have been
smaller.
Under trial conditions as given above, a slight decrease of
the cholesterol content in the cod liver oil studied was
found, a significant loss of vitamin A was not observed in
the temperature range between 200C and 220C.
UICs patent for the improved stripping process by circula-
ting a washing liquid on the condensation surface of a
Short Path Distillator or molecular still is pending.
Summary
Short Path Distillation opens a variety of different and al-
ternative options within the refining and processing of fish
oils. Beside the concentration of Omega-3 fatty acid esters
the role of SPD within the crude oil refining process is in-
creasing continuously.
Chemical de-acidification always related with unpleasant
soap handling and oil loss to the soap stock can be substi-
tuted easily by Short Path Distillation.
Filtration with activated carbon or steam stripping for pes-
ticide removal can be replaced by single-stage Short Path
Distillation, which is proven to easily under-run the maxi-
mum limits of pollutant concentration as stated by Com-
mission Regulation (EC) No 199/2006 (food). The effective-
ness of the stripping process of pollutants can still be
enhanced if required, by using specially designed distilla-
tion devices.
Commercial Short Path Distillation units suitable for conti-
nuous industrial production can be designed for produc-
tion rates between 10 kg/h and 10 t/h. The flexibility in size
allows matching the size of the distillation unit to desired
production capacity. This is one of the reasons why the
technology of Short Path Distillation will be very in-
teresting for the production of specialty (fish) oils in the
future.
p
Feed
w
C
= 20 %
Washing Liquid: w
C
= 0%
p
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i
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always fulfilled!
Condition for
Distillation:
TEQ (12 WHO PCB) = 21.6 ng/kg
TEQ (12 WHO PCB) 1 ng/kg
p
R
= p
Feed
/ 20
p
evap
> p
C
Fig. 13
p
Feed
p
R
= p
Feed
/ 20
TEQ (12 WHO PCB) = 21.6 ng/kg
TEQ (12 WHO PCB) > 1 ng/kg w
C
= 100 %
p
C
p
evap
= p
C
: Equilibrium and End
of Distillation
F
i
l
m
E
v
a
p
o
r
a
t
o
r
T
C
D
i
s
t
i
l
l
a
t
e
F
i
l
m
C
o
n
d
e
n
s
e
r
p
evap
> p
C
Condition for
Distillation:
T
evap
Fig. 12
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