The present invention relates to processes for extracting lipid from vegetative plant parts such as leaves, stems, roots and tubers, and for producing industrial products such as hydrocarbon products from the lipids. Preferred industrial products include alkyl esters which may be blended with petroleum based fuels.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a crystallization method having excellent separation performance between a crystal fraction and a liquid fraction after crystallization in a dry-mode separation method employing stirring crystallization and compression filtration, whereby it becomes possible to produce an SUS-rich oil/fat from an SUS-containing oil/fat. In the dry-mode oil/fat separation for producing an SUS-rich oil/fat having an SUS content of 60% by weight or more from an SUS-containing oil/fat having an SUS content of 30% by weight or more, a crystalline S3 component is added to the SUS-containing oil/fat in an amount of 5 to 200 ppm by weight relative to the amount of the SUS-containing oil/fat at a temperature that is higher by 0 to 2 C. than a cloud point of the SUS-containing oil/fat so as to be mixed, and performing stirring crystallization. When the SUS contains StOSt as the main component, the S3 component is preferably one derived from an extremely hydrogenated oil of an oil/fat that is in a liquid form at ambient temperature.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a crystallization method having excellent separation performance between a crystal fraction and a liquid fraction after crystallization in a dry-mode separation method employing stirring crystallization and compression filtration, whereby it becomes possible to produce an SUS-rich oil/fat from an SUS-containing oil/fat. In the dry-mode oil/fat separation for producing an SUS-rich oil/fat having an SUS content of 60% by weight or more from an SUS-containing oil/fat having an SUS content of 30% by weight or more, a crystalline S3 component is added to the SUS-containing oil/fat in an amount of 5 to 200 ppm by weight relative to the amount of the SUS-containing oil/fat at a temperature that is higher by 0 to 2 C. than a cloud point of the SUS-containing oil/fat so as to be mixed, and performing stirring crystallization. When the SUS contains StOSt as the main component, the S3 component is preferably one derived from an extremely hydrogenated oil of an oil/fat that is in a liquid form at ambient temperature.

The invention relates to a continuous process for fractionating a suspension chosen from a microalgal biomass or milk.

The present invention provides a commercially-viable-level, highly efficient production method for oil and fat that are rich in USU.

A method of fractionating a shea extract includes: mixing and homogenization of shea butter using a solvent system having at least one oxoester of formula I,

##STR00001## in which R.sub.1 is selected from the group made of linear or branched alkyls having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4, which are identical or different, are selected from the group made of the hydrogen atom or linear or branched alkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is a natural number between 1 and 4; obtaining a homogeneous mixture; cooling of the mixture; and filtration and removal of the solvent system in order to recover the olein and stearin fractions.

The present invention relates to processes for producing industrial products such as hydrocarbon products from non-polar lipids in a vegetative plant part. Preferred industrial products include alkyl esters which may be blended with petroleum based fuels.

The present invention relates to a method for treating vegetable oils and/or animal fats. The method comprises adjusting temperature, treatment with acid, adjusting pH, contacting the aqueous mixture with enzyme, crystallization of high melting glycerides and separation.

Provided herein are systems and methods for the facile extraction and purification of oils from plant material, including cannabis and hemp. The systems and methods herein are versatile, and may utilize a wide range of solvents to extract oils from a variety of plant-based material. Further, the provided systems and methods are closed loop, reducing the loss solvent and decreasing the risk of safety concerns such as human exposure to solvent chemicals or explosion of volatiles. In some embodiments, the systems and methods remove impurities from the extracted oils, for example waxes or other precipitates, and provide a higher purity and higher quality extract.

The present invention pertains to an efficient and large-scale process to produce a medium-chain triglyceride composition with >95% content for C8 (caprylic acid), C10 (capric acid) and C12 (lauric acid), with the content of lauric acid at about 5% or more. The process involves fractionation of fatty acid methyl esters, which are mainly derived from coconut or palm kernel, their esterification to glycerol to synthesize medium-chain triglycerides, and refining them to significantly increase purity and make them fit for human consumption. Such composition can have important uses in food and its preparation, health supplements, cosmetics, and medicine, among others.