Company Products/Marine Oil Processing

C-Unit

Since 1976 Compro has been involved in the treatment of marine oils to remove first pesticide residues and more recently, the higher molecular weight contaminants grouped as polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAH) frequently arising in the “hard” oils like coconut palm kernel, and some palm oil stearin fractions. The PAH’s also can arise from inadequate cleaning of tankers between cargoes. While the “light” PAH compounds (up to 4 rings) can usually be removed during normal deodorizing operations, the heavy PAH’s have to be absorbed on activated carbon and removed by filtration. Compro has designed a simple process for treating crude fish oils that cleans up the oil by silica treatment combined with gentle bleaching and filtration, which ensures a feedstock for carbon treatment that filters well. This material is then treated with special activated carbon for absorption of the heavy PAH’s and filtered carefully to remove the contaminated carbon material. Whatever PAH’s are left in the oil can be removed during a deodorizing process. The products will generally meet European Union PAH limit after one treatment. Because of the extremely rapid processing, lower hot oil temperatures, and powerful stripping action of the Compro system, this final removal of the “light” PAH’s is accomplished with about 20 minutes exposure to temperatures over 100 C , which allows the EPA and DHA values to be preserved in almost their entirely. This is ideal for oil intended for concentrating the Omega 3 fraction.