Analisa Kehilangan Minyak pada Buah Kelapa Sawit saat Proses Perebusan Dengan Metode Shock Blow Off

Abstract

This study aims to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the effect of the shock blow off method on oil loss in oil palm fruits during the sterilization stage in crude palm oil (CPO) processing. The shock blow off method involves the sudden release of steam pressure at the end of the sterilization process, a technique commonly used in palm oil mills to reduce processing time. However, this method also has the potential to cause damage to the fruit tissue, particularly the mesocarp, which is the primary source of oil. In this study, the shock blow off method was compared with the soft blow off method, which involves a gradual and controlled release of pressure, to assess the efficiency level and the extent of oil loss caused by each treatment. The experiment was conducted at PT. Sisirau Palm Oil Mill, Aceh Tamiang, using a mini sterilizer as a laboratory- scale simulation of the sterilization process. The treated fruit samples were then analyzed using the Soxhlet extraction method with n-hexane solvent to determine the residual oil content. The results showed that the shock blow off method caused an average increase in oil loss of 14.85% compared to the soft blow off method. This is due to the phenomenon of flash steam, which is the rapid phase change of water within the fruit tissue into steam as a result of sudden pressure release. This process generates high internal pressure within the fruit, ultimately damaging the mesocarp structure and causing a portion of the oil to be expelled along with the steam.