Name of Field Supervisors: Name of Industrial Unit Manager (IUM)

Mr Ikome Mr Ndifon

Signature___________________

Signature_______________ Date_______________________

Date___________________

Mr Luma George

Signature________________

Date____________________

Name of laboratory Supervisor

Mr Tchana

Signature_________________

Date_____________________
 DECLARATION
……………………………………………………. Do herby declare that this work placement
report Entitled : natural rubber process and determination carried out at Tiko rubber factory has
entirely been written by me with the supervision of
Mr ……………………………………………………………….

l do declare that this report has never been submitted in any part or whole to any institution or
awarding body as partial requirement for the award of a similar degree.

SIGNARURE………………………………………..
DATE……………………………

Heurard POUAKONE
 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that, this industrial work placement was carrier out
by……………………………………………………… Undergraduate student in the department
of chemical engineering at FOMIC POLYTECHNIC of DOUALA; We aknowledge the fact
that this work was done (CDC TIKO RUBBER FACTORY) the 1 st of September to the 15th of
October. The report meet the rules and regulation as a partial fulfillment governing the award of
a Btech Engineering.

SIGNATURE………………………………………………………….

DATE………………………………………………………….
DEDICATION

TO

My parents
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

My sincere thanks go to almighty God without whom all of thid wouldn’t have been possible. L
like to aknowledge the contribution made by my parents and God parents in making sure that l
was in TIKO on daily basis to carry out this work. Friends and Family
like…………………………………………………….. will certainly not be left out. Finally, l
would like to thank all the technicians at the CDC Central laboratory especially product quality
manager ……………………………………………………………………………………
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE:
GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The agro-industrial sector is an inescapable world which requires the intervention of

professionals at several levels. Which provided the opportunity for large-scale fully mechanized
processing, resulting in the evolution of a sequence of processing steps designed to extract, from
a harvested oil palm bunch, a high yield of a product of acceptable quality for the international
edible oil trade. Palm oil mill process is quite different from other oil seeds processing. Palm oil
mill process includes 6 stages: FFB reception, sterilizing, threshing, digesting and pressing,
crude oil clarifying and palm kernel recovery. Our palm oil mill process is low cost and energy-
saving.

The oil winning process, in summary, involves the reception of fresh fruit bunches from the
plantations, sterilizing and threshing of the bunches to free the palm fruit, mashing the fruit and
pressing out the crude palm oil. The crude oil is further treated to purify and dry it for storage
and export. The large installations have mechanical handling systems (bucket and screw
conveyers, pumps and pipelines) and operate continuously, depending on the availability of FFB.
Boilers, fuelled by fiber, shells and immature nuts produce superheated steam, used to generate
electricity through turbine generators. The lower pressure steam from the turbine is used for
heating purposes throughout the factory. Most processing operations are automatically controlled
and routine sampling and analysis by process control laboratories ensure smooth, efficient
operation. Although such large installations are capital intensive, extraction rates of 23 - 24
percent palm oil per bunch can be achieved from good quality Tenera. Palm oil is extracted from
fresh fruit bunches (FFB) by a mechanical process A typical palm oil mill has many operational
units. This comprises of sterilization, threshing, digesting and pressing, clarification, purification,
drying and storage. For the palm kernel oil production line, there are steps such as nut/fiber
separation, nut conditioning and cracking, cracked mixture separation, and kernel drying and
storage. The dried kernels are often sold to palm kernel crushers for extraction of crude palm
kernel oil. In some integrated plants, kernel crushing facilities exist side by side in the same
complex.
CHAPTER TWO:

FRESH FRUIT BUNCH (FFB) RECEPTION

It is necessary to weigh for the following reasons:

 Traceability: For the mill to keep record of the quantity of the FFB received and its
origin.

 Crediting: For the mill to credit the estate or small private plantations owner for quantity
of FFB received.
 Accountability: To give an elaborate report of FFB received from whom and time in
received.

 To project the quantity of oil to be produced based on the prescribed extraction rate.

The bridge has a maximum weighing capacity of 60 tons meaning any vehicle that stations on the
bridge far above 60 tons will not be weighed.

Procedure

Upon arrival on the bridge, the weight of both the vehicle and the FFB it contains is taken

(Gross weigh). After off-loading, the vehicle returns to the bridge and the tarred weigh is taken
The difference between the gross weight and the tarred weight gives the quantity of the FFB
received.
Figure 1: weigh Bridge

RAM

The ram is an inclined structure that ends with a set of pneumatic valves and are controlled to
open and close and feeding the FFB in cages. This is the final point of reception where the FFB
received of off loaded according to the time received and FIFO (First in First Out) is practiced
during the milling process.
Figure 2: Ram
CHAPTER THREE:

MILLING PROCESS

During the process of milling 25 tons of FFB is milled per hour and the process is been carried
out from the Ram where the cages (capacity of 2.5 tons) are been filled with FFB, they are been
lifted by a fork lifter and been railed with the aim of front loader for sterilization.

A. Sterilization

Sterilization or cooking is the use of high temperatures wed heat treatment of FFB. Cooking
normally uses water while sterilization uses pressurized steam.

During the process of sterilization, the two sterilizers have the capacity of receiving 10 cages per
unit (20 cages) and they operate at a temperature of 140oC and a pressure of 2.5 bars.

Firstly, the cap stand attendant ensures proper alignment of the cages on the train then closes the
valve supplying steam to the sterilizer and opens the venting valve after which, the steam
pressure manometer valve is inspected to ensure the pointer is at zero position before opening the
sterilizer door in which the supervisor must confirm.
The sterilizer door is then open then the bridge on the rail way line between the cage train and the
sterilizer is closed. Using the front end loader the cage train is pushed into the sterilizer. With the
venting valve still open, the steam supply valve is open so as to drive out oxygen after 5 minutes
(oxygen is a poor conductor of heat so it will disturb sterilization).

The venting valve is closed and the pressure of the steam is raised to 1 bar for about 10 minutes,
the pressure is then reduced to 0.5 bars by closing the steam inlet valve and opening the venting
valve. The venting valve is closed and the steam supply valve is reopened to raise the pressure to
1.5 bars and this takes 10 minutes. The steam inlet valve is again closed and the venting valve is
opened until the pressure drops to 1 bar, this takes place for 5 minutes. The venting is closed and
the steam inlet valve is reopened until the pressure reaches 2.5 bars, this takes 15 minutes. For
the next 45 minutes (Holding Time), the manometer is observed and the pressure is ensured to
stay at 2.5 bars. If the pressure drops the steam inlet valve is again opened so as to maintain it at
2.5 bars. At the end of the holding time (90 minutes total cycle time) the main venting valve is
opened completely and left open and this takes 10 minutes. The manometer pressure is ensured
to have dropped to zero before the door is been opened. The test valve located at the rim of the
door is activated ensure all the residual steam have been expelled and now the sterilizer door is
opened and the rail bridge is put down. Now, the cage train is pulled using the front end loader to
the marshaling yard or area which takes about 15 minutes.

Purpose:

 Heat treatment destroys oil-splitting enzymes and arrests hydrolysis and autoxidation.

 For large-scale installations, where bunches are cooked whole, the wet heat weakens the
fruit stem and makes it easy to remove the fruit from bunches on shaking or tumbling in
the threshing machine.
 Fruit cooking weakens the pulp structure, softening it and making it easier to detach the
fibrous material and its contents during the digestion process. The high heat is enough to
partially disrupt the oil-containing cells in the mesocarp and permits oil to be released
more readily.
 The steam introduced helps to break down the bonds increasing the extraction rate of the
oil by breaking the unit membrane of the vesicles that contain the palmitic acid. The
gums and resins cause the oil to foam during frying. Some of the gums and resins are
soluble in water. Others can be made soluble in water, when broken down by wet steam
(hydrolysis), so that they can be removed during oil clarification. Starches present in the
fruit are hydrolyzed and removed in this way.
 When high-pressure steam is used for sterilization, the heat causes the moisture in the
nuts to expand. When the pressure is reduced the contraction of the nut leads to the
detachment of the kernel from the shell wall, thus loosening the kernels within their
shells. The detachment of the kernel from the shell wall greatly facilitates later nut
cracking operations. From the foregoing, it is obvious that sterilization (cooking) is one
of the most important operations in oil processing, ensuring the success of several other
phases.
  Sterilization is also done to condition the fruits for digestion. This makes the vesicles to
easily give way easing the extraction of oil.
 However, during sterilization it is important to ensure evacuation of air from the
sterilizer. Air not only acts as a barrier to heat transfer, but oil oxidation increases
considerably at high temperatures; hence oxidation risks are high during sterilization.
Over-sterilization can also lead to poor bleach ability of the resultant oil. Sterilization is
also the chief factor responsible for the discoloration of palm kernels, leading to poor
bleach ability of the extracted oil and reduction of the protein value of the press cake.

Figure 3: Sterilization Unit

B. THRESHING (removal of fruit from the bunches)

The purpose of threshing in the palm oil mill process is to separate the palm fruit from the bunch.
The drum type thresher is the usual machine to separate the fruit.

From the marshaling yard, the cages are hoisted from the cap stand into the hopper or the
thresher platform from where the sterilized FFB is fed gradually into the thresher
It consist of axils that rotate and beat the FFB in the process thereby effectively separating the
fruits from the bunches.

The bunches are by-products exit through the waste bunch belt conveyor and the fruits leave the
thresher through the fruit feed conveyor into the bucket elevators.

The bucket elevators empty their content into the digester feed conveyor.

Figure 4: Thresher/waste bunch conveyor

C. DIGESTING AND PRESSING

The purpose of digesting in the palm oil mill process is to separate the pulp and nut and crush
the palm pulp.

The digester feed conveyor conveys fruits into the digester. The digester consists of a rotating
shaft having arms known as Digester Knives that chums the fruits for 30 minutes. The digested
matter enters the press through the digester shoot, after which hot water from the hot water tank
is sent to the digester at a temperature of about 95°C for effective oil removal.

The oil mill obtains 2 products from the press; crude oil and press cake.
CDC has a press true put of 25 tons, meaning the mill has the potential of processing 25 tons of
FFB for an hour

D. SAND CATCHER:
Due to the abrasive nature that sand possesses it is the first and most important impurity to be
removed from crude oil and the sand catcher which receives crude oil after the press allows sand
to settle due to gravity because of its density
E. VIBRATING SCREEN:

this a motorized sieve that serves to remove suspended particles in crude oil. As the name so
goes, it is made up of a vibrating mesh with pore size of 1mm2.

Given the fact that these suspended particles still contain oil in them, it cannot be discarded in
order to maintain the extraction rate of the mill and to minimize oil loses. So conveyor directs
these oily particles back to the bucket elevator that feeds the digester feed conveyor.

F. PREHEATER TANK:

The preheater tank marks the beginning of the oil clarification sector of the mill. Oil leaves the
crude oil tank by means of the crude oil pump to the preheater tank which is maintained at a
temperature of 105°C to begin the separation of clean oil from sludge

E. CONTINUOUS SETTLING TANK (CS TANK):

Once the oil leaves the pre-heating tank it syphones to the continuous settling tank where
settlement takes place by density. The CS tank has a funnel valve where the valve is controlled
manually clock wise causing the valve to move down submerging the funnel into the oil in the
tank. Clean oil which is less dense moves through the funnel to another tank beneath known as
the clean oil tank connected to the funnel with pipes. After the clean oil is collected the funnel is
rotated anti- clock wise moving the funnel upward above the sludge to prevent infiltration of
sludge through the funnel into the clean oil tank (CO Tank). At this point, the CS tank operator
gives a signal to the C.O tank operator to close the valve and pump of the C.O tank; the dense
part of the oil is not completely known as sludge but as oily sludge because of the presence of
clean oil in the sludge. The mill has 2 clean oil tanks and 2 sludge tanks; the oily sludge moves to
the sludge tanks and clean oil goes to the CO tanks .The oily sludge leaves the sludge tank and is
sent to the de-sander for the removal of sand and other solid impurities then to the rotating badge
separator for the removal of fibers.

G. DECANTER

After the oily sludge leaves the rotating badge separator, it goes into a unit called the decanter
that rotates at 11000-15000 revolution per minutes to extract the oil in the sludge so as to
minimize oil losses. After which the sludge is been purged in to the gutter as waste.

Figure 5: Decanter

H. OIL CLARIFICATION

At this point the oil is clean but not pure; so in order to ensure purity of the oil, the oil must go
through a clarification process which is made up of the purifier, the buffer tank, and the vacuum
dryer. The purifier (3 in number) enhances the elimination of moisture and the removal of
impurities from the oil. Then goes to the buffer tank (a tank which resist changes in pH) which
also aids in the elimination of moisture (water) and is constantly open to enhance evaporation.

Figure 6: Purifiers

The vacuum drier is a drying compartment working at a temperature of 120 oc and a pressure of
-0.8 – 1bar. This unit is aimed at the removal of very light volatile components and to balance the
amount of water left in the oil. The oil leaves from the vacuum dryer and goes to the bottling
tanks (storage tank) and production tanks.
Figure 6: Bottling/Production Tanks

I. PRESS CAKE CONVEYOR

As earlier said above concerning the two main products (the press cake and the crude oil) from
the press, the press cake as the second main product goes to the press cake conveyor having axils
which are spiral in shape .The press cake is been conveyed into the trunken (fiber cyclone) where
the fibers are been separated from the nuts by winnowing. The fibers are sent to the boiler and
are been used as fuel and the nuts fall by gravity in to a polishing drum. The nuts are been
smoothen and the immature nuts are separated from the mature once where the immature nuts are
also used as fuel.

Figure 8: Polishing Drum

The mature nuts are carried by a wet nut bucket elevator in to a nut cylo that works at a
temperature of 60oc to ease the cracking of the nuts by weakening the bonds between the kernel
and the shell .The heated nuts are been carried by a nut conveyor through bucket elevators to the
cracker where the shells are separated from the kernel. The mixture (kernel and shell) goes to the
shell cyclone where the shell is separated from the kernel by winnowing as the kernel goes to the
kernel cylo where it is packaged and stored for sale to locale firms and some transported to
Mondoni for the production of kernel oil.

J. SOFTENER PLAN

The softener plant is an ion exchanger that changes ions that cause hardness of water and picks
up friendly ions that soften water by eliminating salts (Mg+2 and Ca+2).The process goes as thus:

Water from the filtration unit is pumped to the softener plant along site with the injection of
industrial salts and resins which are negatively charge and have a strong affinity for positively
charged ions (Na+).The Sodium ion displace Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions in the solution making it safe the
milling process.
N.B Hard water will cause rusting, scaling and corrosion to the mill machineries if not treated
through the softener plant.

Figure 9: Softener Plant

Before milling, testing is done within a time range of 92 hours to see if the water is still suitable
for the milling process but for quality reasons, testing is done on hourly bases for efficiency.

This process is done by collecting a fresh sample of the water and adding Solo chrome black as
indicator. If the color change is pink it indicates the presence of Mg 2+ and Ca2+ ion while, if it
changes to blue it means it’s suitable for usage.
Figure 10: Water Analysis

K. BOILER PLANT

The boiler is a unit in the mill that produces superheated steam used to generate electricity
through turbine generators. The boiler operates at a temperature of 500 oC and pressures of 21
bars, the main fuel used are the fibers from them from the fiber cyclone.

The boiler has three main fans which are as follows;

Induced Draft Fan: Its helps in the ignition in the boiler.

Force Draft Fan: it helps blow out soot produce in the boiler during burning.

Secondary Fan: helps feed combustion air into the boiler.

After water leaves the softening plant to the boiler filter, four chemicals are injected to avoid
some mechanical damages
  Oxygen Scavengers: the O2 scavenger injected feeds on the O2 into free radicals. This is
done because O2 is very reactive which can react with iron to form FeO 2 (a dirty green
gelatinous precipitate) and in the presence of more O 2, it reacts to give Fe2O3 (reddish
brown precipitate). Failure to inject oxygen scavengers will cause scaling and rusting
which reduces the thickness of the boiler.
 Alkalizing agents: They are added to avoid sticking in the boiling and also to give a
better milieu for other components to react.
 Silica disperser (rich in silica): it helps adsorb any free Oxygen radicals in the boiler
after which they settle at the bottom and are been flush down.
 Anti-foaming agent: It eliminates bubbles in the boiler which turn to harbor oxygen and
other chemicals.

Figure 11: Boiler

CHAPTER FOUR

LABORATORY ANAYLSIS

The laboratory is there to make sure the oil is of good quality and also to calculate the rate
of oil losses. This is one of the most important process in the factory because it helps the workers
to calibrate their machineries to work well.

Physical Analysis

This analysis is done by using the human senses (sight, taste and smell).

 Color: for the oil to be of good standard, it must have a bright red color.

 Taste: the taste must be good.

 Odor: the oil must be odorless.

Figure: 12 Oil Sample

Chemical Analysis

 Free Fatty Acids (FFA)

 The samples were homogenized and a true representative was obtained before analysis

The presence of FFA in palm oil at high level is very detrimental to the human system, so
analysis are been made to make it safe before consumption. The standard Norm value for
FFA in the oil should be 3.6%.

Apparatus: 10g of palm oil, 50ml of ethanol, conical flask, burette, phenolphthalein
indicator.
Procedure:

 10ml of the oil was measured and poured into a conical flask.

 50ml of ethanol was added to help increase the solubility of the oil/fat.

 The mixture is heated for the a few seconds for the first bubble.

 3-5 drops of phenolphthalein indicator is also added.

 The mixture in the conical flask is been titrated with a 0.1M NaOH from the burette until
a permanent color change is observed.

Figure 13: FFA Analysis

 Moisture(Water) Content

Apparatus: 10g of oil and dish

Procedure:

 After the oil sample has been collected, 10g is been weighed.

 It is been put into an oven for 2 hours to prevent further adsorption of moisture
from the atmosphere.
 After 2 hours in the oven, it is place in an enclosed desiccator that contains silica
gel. This silica gel helps to adsorb the water (moisture) present in the oil.
 The Norm of water in oil value is 0.2%.

 Dirt Content

Apparatus: 10g of oil, crucible and filter paper.

Procedure:

 The weight of the oil is taken as 10g

 After which the weight of the empty crucible with the filter paper are also
recorded as first mass.
 The weighed 10g of oil is poured into the crucible and dissolved in hexane.
 After some time the crucible is dried in a desiccator.
 After the above process, the weight of the crucible, filter paper and oil is recorded
as second mass.
 The difference between the first and second mass gives the level of dirt content in
the oil.
 Norm value for dirt content is 0.02%.
 To carry out test on oil losses, analysis are been carried out on the following samples; press
cake nuts, cracked nut loss at the boiler, kernel loss, partially cracked nuts,oil loss on dry fibre on
press 1,2, and 3, oil loss on dry cyclone fibre, oil loss on waste bunches and sludge.

The above samples are collected on hourly bases before analysis. Aim for this is to help in the
calibration of the machineries in the factory.

 Physical Analysis

Press cake nuts, partially cracked nuts, kernel loss and cracked nuts loss at the boiler.

Apparatus: Scale balance, press cake.

Procedure:

 500g of the press cake collected is been weighed on a scale balance.

 After which the nuts, partially cracked nuts, cracked nuts and kernels are been
handpicked or separated from the fibers.
After separation (nuts, partially cracked nuts, cracked nuts and kernels), each sample is weighed
on the scale balance.
 Finally, the value of each sample(nuts, partially cracked nuts, cracked nuts and kernels) is
been recorded and divided by 500% to know the value of what is loss on the 3 press.

Figure 14: Separation of Fibres from nuts

  Chemical Analysis

Oil loss on dry fibres in press 1

Apparatus: round bottom flask, thimble, extractor, fibers, hexane reagent, condenser, cotton and
heater.

Procedure:

 10g of the fibre is been weighed.

 The content (fibre) is the put into a paper thimble and cotton is added at the top to prevent
the fibres from mixing with the hexane.
 The content in the thimble (fibre + cotton) is inserted into an extractor and a round
bottom flask along site with the hexane.
 The process is allowed to boil for 3-4 hours. During this period, since the hexane is
volatile than the oil it will evaporate and condense thereby leaving behind the oil.
 After this time range, the oil left in the flask is been weighed and the calculations for oil
losses are been done.
 Same procedure goes for the fibres in press 2 and 3.

Oil loss on waste bunches

Apparatus: round bottom flask, thimble, extractor, waste bunch fibres, hexane,
condenser, cotton and heater.
Procedure:

 A fresh sample is collected at the waste bunch conveyor and chopped into small pieces.

 10g of the chopped pieces is been weighed using a balance.

 The content (chopped waste bunch pieces) is then put into a paper thimble and covered
using cotton wool inserting inside the thimble over the content ensuring prevention of the
fibres from mixing with the hexane.
  The content in the thimble (chopped waste bunch pieces + cotton) is inserted into an
extractor and a round bottom flask along site with the hexane.
 The process is allowed to boil for 3-4 hours. During this period, since the hexane is
volatile than the oil it will evaporate and condense thereby leaving behind the oil.
After this time range, the oil left in the flask is been weighed and the calculations for oil
losses are been done.

Oil loss on Nuts

Apparatus: round bottom flask, thimble, extractor, Nuts, hexane, condenser, cotton and heater.

Procedure:

 10g of the nuts are been weighed.

 The content (nuts) is then put into a paper thimble and cotton wool to prevent the fibers
from mixing with the hexane.
 The content in the thimble (nuts + cotton) is inserted into an extractor and a round bottom
flask along site with the hexane.
 The process is allowed to boil for 3-4 hours. During this period, since the hexane is
volatile than the oil it will evaporate and condense thereby leaving behind the oil.
 After this time range, the oil left in the flask is been weighed and the calculations for oil
losses are been done.
 This procedure is carried out on all the 3 press samples.

Oil loss on Sludge

Apparatus: Sludge and petridish

Procedure:
 50g of the sludge collected is weighed.
  The sample then is placed in a paper thimble and cotton wool added to prevent mixture of
reagent and sample (sludge).
 The thimble alongside with contents then is inserted into an extractor and a round bottom
flask placed beneath for collection of extracted oil and hexane reagent poured into the
extractor.
 The extractor connected to a condenser and a heater is allowed to boil for 3-4 hours and
the oil remnant collected same as above.

Figure 15: Oil losses extraction.

 Sulphate Test on boiler water

Apparatus: water from boiler and test strips.

Procedure:

 A considerable quality of boiler water is measured and poured into a beaker.

  The test strip is then inserted into the water and the color change of the strip is
observed. The intensity of the coloration gives the sulphate quality analysis in the
boiler.
 The coloration of the strip is compared to the graduation on the test strip container
and the results noted.
 Phosphate Test on boiler water Apparatus: water from boiler
and test strips.
Procedure:

 Rinse the measuring vessel with the test solution and fill it to the 50ml mark.

 Add 5 drops of PO43--1 (nitric acid) to the sample and shake carefully.
Place the measuring vessel on the bench top and remove the test tube from the package.

 Place the test tube into cavity of the thermoformed mould and add 6 drops of PO 43- -2 to
the test tube.
 Insert the test strip and wait for 15 seconds.

 Shake of the excess liquid and place test strip into the filled test tube and wait for another
15 seconds
 Shake off the excess liquid and wait for 60 seconds.

 Compare them with the color scale.

 Phosphate ions are present; the test field turns blue-green.