Crude Soybean Oil

About This Product

Crude soybean oil is the oil extracted from soybeans, almost always by solvent extraction after the beans have been cleaned, cracked, dehulled and flaked. Soybeans contain only about 18–20 % oil, so the oil is a co-product of a crush driven largely by demand for soybean meal. Before shipment, most crude soybean oil is water-degummed to remove hydratable phospholipids, which are recovered as lecithin, and it is then traded as crude degummed soybean oil. As a feedstock it is technically straightforward. FFA is low, typically below about 0.75 % as oleic acid for degummed grades, so after further degumming, drying and sometimes neutralisation it can go straight into alkaline transesterification. Its linoleic-rich profile gives an iodine value of roughly 120–140 g I2/100 g, which means soybean methyl ester often sits at or above the EN 14214 limit of 120 and needs antioxidant to meet oxidation stability; producers commonly blend it with rapeseed, palm-based or waste feedstocks. For HVO and HEFA-SPK (SAF), residual phosphorus and metals must be reduced to low mg/kg levels, and the high unsaturation raises hydrogen consumption. Typical contract parameters are FFA, moisture and volatile matter, insoluble impurities, unsaponifiable matter, phosphorus, iodine value and flash point, the last as a check on residual extraction solvent. Degummed grades commonly carry a phosphorus maximum of around 200 mg/kg, while non-degummed crude oil is much higher. HVO and SAF buyers add calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium and chloride. Crude soybean oil is a food and feed crop oil and is not listed in Annex IX. Under RED III, fuels made from food and feed crops count towards transport targets only within a national cap, and ReFuelEU Aviation excludes them from its SAF obligation. Some Member States apply further restrictions to soy-based fuels because of deforestation concerns, so its value depends heavily on the destination. Buyers should confirm how their market treats it, and the certificate scope for the lot, with their certification body. Separate EU rules on deforestation-free products may also call for land-use and geolocation evidence. Crude soybean oil is liquid at ambient temperature and moves in bulk vessels, ISO tanks, flexitanks and road tankers; heating is rarely needed except in cold climates. Keep it dry and limit its exposure to air, as polyunsaturated oils oxidise in long storage, and use clean previous cargoes so that the oil remains suitable for other outlets. In an enquiry, state whether you need degummed or non-degummed crude, your FFA, moisture and volatile matter, phosphorus and iodine value limits, the conversion route, volume, packaging, delivery terms and the sustainability documents required.