Performance Evaluation of the Screw-Type Oil Expeller for Extracting Mee (Madhuca longifolia) Oil

Purpose: Mee (Madhuca longifolia) is an economically important tree growing throughout Sri Lanka. Its importance is mainly attributed to its oil with high nutritional and medicinal values. However, an inefficient extraction method limits its use. This study revealed the possibility of extracting oil from mee seeds by using a screw-type oil expeller. Methods: A popular screw-type oil expeller was used in the experiment. Extract bar clearance and speeds of the main spiral shaft were altered to increase the oil expelling efficiency of the machine. The quality of refined oil at the optimum oil yield was determined by measuring the refractive index, saponification value, iodine value, unsaponifiable matter, free fatty acid, and specific gravity. Results: An optimum yield of 35% oil was obtained when the machine capacity was 30 kg/h and energy consumption was 0.13 kWh/kg. This optimum machine condition was observed at an extract bar clearance of 0.5 mm and a main spiral shaft speed of 90 rpm. The refractive index, saponification value, iodine value, unsaponifiable matter, free fatty acid, and specific gravity of the oil were 1.4, 203, 59, 3.5%, 0.2%, and 0.907 g/cm3 respectively. Color of the mee oil was closer to yellow, which is revealed by the lightness value (L) of 24.93 and positive value (b) of 11.81. Conclusion: The screw-type oil expeller can be used for economically extracting mee oil on a commercial scale.