Process for acid and then alkaline refining fatty oils

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR REFINING CRUDE FATTY OIL WHEREIN SAID OIL IS DEGUMMED WITH ACID, NEUTRALIZED WITH AQUEOUS ALKALI SOLUTION AND SUBSEQUENTLY TREATED WITH ACID, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN (1) SAID DEGUMMING IS EFFECTED UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE WITH ORTHOPHOSPHORIC ACID AND (2) SAID NEUTRALIZATION IS EFFECTED BY PASSING THE DEGUMMED OIL UP THROUGH ALKALINE AQUEOUS SOLUTION, SAID OIL BEING FED INTO SAID SOLUTION IN A PLURALITY OF SEPARATED STREAMS AND RISING THROUGH THE SOLUTION DUE SOLELY TO THE BUOYANCY FORCES EXISTING BETWEEN THE OIL AND AQUEOUS SOLUTION, SAID STREAMS, WHILE IN CONTACT WITH SOLUTION, BREAKING AT THEIR UPPER ENDS INTO DROPLETS OF 0.3 TO 3 MM. IN DIAMETER, SAID DROPLETS THEN CONTINUING TO RISE THROUGH SAID SOLUTION TO FORM AN OIL LAYER THEREON, WHEREBY THE OIL IS INTIMATELY CONTACTED WITH THE ALKALI SOLUTION TO NEUTRALIZE FATTY ACIDS THEREIN WHILE CONCOMITANTLY AVOIDING SUBSTANTIAL SAPONIFICATION AND EMULSIFICATION.