Automatic virgin coconut oil (VCO) extractor

BS Industrial Technology Department, Faculty of Polytechnic School, Isabela State University Cauayan Campus, Isabela Philippines

^* Corresponding author : frtagle@yahoo.com

Abstract

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is a vegetable oil extracted from coconut milk that undergone either of the following extraction method: natural fermentation method with heat or without heat, expelling method or centrifugation method. Research showed that the extraction of VCO using expelling method had the highest percent oil recovery with 88.35% and yield of 30-31% followed by centrifugation method with oil recovery of 86.62% and yield of 31% then natural fermentation method with 65.95% oil recovery and yield of 16.5-19%. Even with low percent oil recovery and yield, VCO producers here in the Philippines particularly in Quezon province still employs the natural fermentation among other extraction method of VCO due to its cost-effectivity. The natural fermentation method involves several manual scooping activities in removing the VCO from the other component of the coconut milk which also takes time of waiting for about 24 to 48 hours for the VCO to be fractioned from the coconut milk mixture. This research therefore, focused in improving the natural fermentation method by developing a machine that automatically extracts the VCO from the coconut milk with higher percent oil recovery and yield. The designed machine was evaluated based on its oil recovery, and yield with respect to the current method of extraction. Furthermore, the effects of temperature and maturity of coconut kernel to the machine’s capability of extracting the VCO were carried out. The tests conducted showed that the Automatic Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) Extractor had an oil recovery of 89.84%. The study also showed that the yield using the automatic extractor is 31.27%. It was also concluded that it is better to use the Automatic Virgin Coconut Extractor in the area with temperature of 35-37 °C and preferably good coconut kernel should be used for the extraction of VCO.