Preliminary plant design and economics for the processing of mafura oil soap and castor oil soap from mafura nuts and castor beans.

Abstract

The perliminary design of a plant for processing mafura oil soap and castor oil soap from mafura nuts and castor beans has been undertaken. The economic evaluation of the venture using standard methods of profitability measures has also been carried out after which useful recommendations have been given. Qual amounts of mafura nuts and castor beans totalling 3,000 metric tons for use in 300 working days per year have been considered. All of this amount is produced in Tanzania. Reducing the oilseeds to thin flakes before passing them to the hydraulically operated cage press is considered worthwhile, however, flaked mafura nuts are cooked subsequent to pressing whereas flaked castor beans are pressed at room temperature so as to get a clear oil not obtainable at elevated temperatures. Datchwise hydraulic pressing is deemed advisable in view of the small quantities of oilseeds processed per day, The oil cakes of mafura and castor seeds obtained after pressing the flakes have been left out in the plant economics calculations but these products may be used directly as fertilizer or as animal feed after being specially treated. An attention is drawn to some features of design peculiar to the handling of castor oil. Due to the fact that castor oil contains a hydroxy triglyceride of ricinoleic