Submitted by SaboKunn t3_10ud0uz in askscience
TheLostHippos t1_j7fqkig wrote
Reply to comment by UEMcGill in Why oil fries, while water boils? by SaboKunn
They definitely do not boil the oil to refine it as the smoke point is so much lower it wouldn't make any sense. They heat the oil to like 180f and add an alkaline substance. There are some steaming processes later on but they stay about 100f (400-450f steam temp) below the actual boiling point of the oil and this process deodorizes the oil.
UEMcGill t1_j7g56yu wrote
Hexane extraction using fractjonal distillation was a common method for vegetable oil production. So yes in part the oil will be boiled. It's not what a pot on your stove would look like, and takes into account vapor pressures differences, but it boiled would be an accurate description.
Signed, a Chemical Engineer.
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