| dc.description.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. | en_US |
