Biodiesel is the most important biofuel from both economical and technical points of view.

Rice bran oil (RBO)

with high free fatty acid (FFA) content offers important potential as an alternative lowcost feedstock for
biodiesel production. The main purpose of this book is to compare and optimize the amount of oil extracted
from rice bran. Different parameters (solid particle size, solvent type, extraction time, solvent to solid ratio, and
pH of extraction solution), were studied to determine the optimum conditions. These conditions were: particle
size less than 600 m, temperature equal to 60C for two hours extraction at pH 12.65, and solvent to solid
ratio 5:1, using nhexane as solvent. However, the storage period under humidity 80% can effect on increasing
the free fatty acid content which was reached to 79.2% after one month at the same optimum conditions. The
acid catalysis esterification process using high FFA oil led to high conversion (99%) at short time (90 min). The
mathematical model of esterification reaction was developed and the predicted results explained a fair
matching with the experimental results.

As a kind of popular cooking oil, rice bran oil is extracted from the germ and the inner husk of rice. It is
noble for its high smoke point and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such
as stir frying and deep frying. Whats more, eating rice bran oil helps lower cholesterol, fight diseases,
enhance the immune system, and fight free radicals and more. Rice bran oil manufacturing
processesmainly includes rice bran oil expelling, extraction and refining.

Rice bran oil expelling relies on high quality rice bran oil expellers. After the well prepared rice bran is put
into the feeder of the expeller, a screw worm will transport the rice bran advance. As the screw worm
moves, the space becomes smaller and smaller, thus squeezing rice bran oil out. Then the fresh rice bran oil
seeps out through the small openings in the bottom of the squeezing barrel where the rice bran oil cake
cannot pass through, and thus separating rice bran oil from oil cake.
After collecting rice bran oil cake, rice bran oil extraction comes with the help of food grade solvent, usually
hexane. Rice bran oil extraction works on the principle of counter current and moving bed with variable bed
height and different speed mechanism to ensure the permit of excellent penetration and percolation of
solvent for absolute extraction. Then the distillation begins in the vacuum, and the extracted rice bran oil is
collected by vaporizing solvent out for later recovery.

What part of rice is rice bran?

Rice bran is the thin layer of brown rice. It is the most nutritious part of rice. Rice bran is high in vitamins
and nutrients. Rice bran oil, not fiber, lowers cholesterol in healthy, moderately hypercholesterolemic
individuals. Because there were no substantial differences in the fatty acid composition of the diets, the
reduction of cholesterol seen was due to other component present in the rice bran oil. Rice bran oil is used in
cosmetics because it's a great moisturizer. It contains natural Vitamin E, flows nicely. It provides moderate
penetration and leaves no greasiness or stickiness on the skin. It is an excellent carrier oil.

Then the rice bran oil is pumped into the refining machinery to produce different grades of rice bran oil. The
refining process usually includes: filtering, neutralization, degumming, decolorization, deodorization, and
dewax, etc.
After all these manufacturing processes, fresh rice bran oil would be ready.