COLD SEPARATION OF COCONUT OIL FROM COCONUT MILK BY MANUAL CHURNING: INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS IN SRI LANKA

Анотація

This comprehensive study investigates the physical effects of controlled low-temperature storage and systematic, periodic manual mechanical agitation on the cold-separation efficiency of virgin coconut oil from stable coconut milk emulsions, specifically designed for small- and medium-scale industrial food processing in Sri Lanka. Fresh coconut milk samples with established baseline compositions were subjected to three distinct thermal treatments at ten, sixteen, and twenty degrees Celsius. To simulate a low-cost extraction alternative, manual agitation was conducted every three hours throughout a rigid twenty-four-hour storage period using a highly standardized frequency and amplitude protocol. The experimental results indicate a clear non-linear relationship between storage temperature and separation efficiency, with optimal free oil recovery of approximately thirty-six percent and total fat recovery of nearly seventy-nine percent observed exclusively at sixteen degrees Celsius. Statistical modeling using second-order polynomial regression confirmed that sixteen degrees represents a critical thermal balance point where the partial crystallization of high-melting triglycerides successfully promotes droplet bridging and coalescence without the kinetic limitations of over-solidification and high oil viscosity seen at ten degrees. Phase separation was achieved through gravitational settling enhanced by manual mechanical disruption of the protein-stabilized interfacial membrane. This demonstrates a low-energy technology that reduces processing energy consumption by sixty to sixty-five percent compared to conventional hot extraction methods. The findings suggest that cold-phase separation combined with manual churning represents a thermodynamically efficient and economically viable approach for rural smallholders, requiring minimal capital investment between four hundred fifty and twelve hundred dollars. This methodology maintains superior product quality, achieving a high coconut aroma score, making it highly suitable for resource-constrained industrial settings. Furthermore, the detailed economic analysis indicates that this sustainable method can generate significant net monthly profits of eighteen hundred to twenty-four hundred dollars for smallholder operations, offering a transformative tool for sustainable rural livelihood enhancement in tropical regions.