Soybean Protein Extraction Plant
Soybean Protein Extraction Plant
Soybean protein extraction plants produce soy protein isolate (SPI, 90%+ protein) and soy protein concentrate (SPC, 65%–70% protein) from defatted soy flour. Mechotech's plants serve the food, nutraceutical, and animal feed industries with GMP-compliant, high-yield protein extraction systems.
Mechotech engineers soybean protein extraction plants using alkaline solubilization and isoelectric precipitation — the industry-standard process for SPI production. Our plants integrate pH-controlled reactors, centrifugal separators, spray dryers, and CIP systems. Capacity ranges from 500 kg/day to 20,000 kg/day of raw soy flour processed.
Manufacturing Process
Soy Flour Preparation
Defatted soy flour (DSF) is dispersed in water at 1:10 ratio. pH is adjusted to 8.0–9.0 using food-grade NaOH to solubilize soy proteins into the aqueous phase.
Centrifugal Separation
The alkaline slurry is centrifuged in a decanter or disc centrifuge to separate insoluble fiber and carbohydrates from the protein-rich supernatant.
Isoelectric Precipitation
The supernatant pH is adjusted to 4.5 (isoelectric point of soy protein) using food-grade HCl. Proteins precipitate as a curd-like mass.
Protein Washing
The precipitated protein curd is re-dispersed in water and re-centrifuged to wash out residual sugars, phytates, and off-flavour compounds.
Neutralization
The washed protein curd is re-dispersed and pH adjusted to 6.8–7.0 with NaOH to produce a neutral-pH protein slurry for spray drying.
Spray Drying
The neutralized protein slurry is spray-dried to produce free-flowing SPI powder with moisture below 6% and protein content above 90% (dry basis).
Applications
- Food protein fortification (bread, beverages, dairy analogs)
- Meat analog and plant-based burger production
- Infant formula and medical nutrition
- Sports nutrition protein powder manufacturing
- Animal feed and aquafeed protein supplement
- Edible film and coating production
- Emulsifier for food processing industry
- Nutraceutical protein supplement capsules
Key Features
90%+ Protein Purity
Optimized alkaline extraction and isoelectric precipitation delivers SPI with 90%+ protein content on dry basis, meeting international food-grade protein specifications.
pH-Controlled Reactors
Fully automated pH control in extraction and precipitation tanks ensures precise, repeatable protein yield and quality with minimal operator intervention.
Centrifugal Separation
High-speed disc centrifuges and decanters achieve efficient solid-liquid separation at each stage, maximizing protein recovery and reducing processing losses.
Integrated Spray Dryer
On-board spray drying with air inlet filtration and fines recovery produces food-grade, free-flowing SPI powder directly from the wet protein curd.
CIP System
Full clean-in-place (CIP) system with automated cleaning cycles ensures hygienic operation and rapid changeover between production runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What protein content can Mechotech's plant achieve in SPI?
Can the plant produce both SPI and SPC?
What is the typical protein recovery yield?
Can the plant handle organic-certified soybean processing?
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