UTILIZATION OF WASTE SEED FROM THE TOMATO. 



19 



REFINING AND DEODORIZING THE OIL. 



The tomato-seed oil obtained by the expeller process was deep 

 brownish in color and possessed a strong odor. It was refined, 

 bleached, and deodorized on a semi commercial scale by the usual 

 method of procedure. After determination of the free acids in the 

 oil a slight excess of caustic-soda solution (sodium hydroxid), about 

 1G° Baume (1.124 sp. gr.), was added gradually to the warm oil, 

 with constant stirring. After thorough agitation the temperature 

 was slowly raised to about 150° F. Under this alkali treatment an 



Fig. 11. — A commercial installation of the Cobwell process of solvent extraction. 



excellent break was obtained. The precipitate was allowed to settle 

 and the clear supernatant oil was drawn off. The oil was pale 

 brownish red in color. 



The optimum bleaching temperature was found to be 110° C, 

 using 6 per cent XL fuller's earth and 3 per cent filtchar. The filtra- 

 tion was carried out in an ordinary laboratory filter press, using 

 about 5 pounds pressure. The bleached oil had the appearance of 

 virgin peanut oil. Deodorization was accomplished by passing a 

 current of steam through the oil at an atmospheric pressure at 105° C. 

 for 2 hours. The resulting oil was excellent in quality. Deodoriza- 

 tion in a vacuum in modern improved apparatus would doubtless pro- 



