A powdered oil and/or fat that includes a high proportion of a medium-chain fatty-acid triglyceride, has excellent solubility and fluidity, and gives rise to little oil flotation during dissolution. The powdered oil and/or fat includes a medium-chain fatty-acid triglyceride, an octenylsuccinic acid-treated starch mixture, and a dextrin, in which the octenylsuccinic acid-treated starch mixture includes a first octenylsuccinic acid-treated starch of which the viscosity of a 10 mass % aqueous solution at 25° C. is less than 30 mPa.Math.S, and a second octenylsuccinic acid-treated starch of which the viscosity of a 10 mass % aqueous solution at 25° C. is 30 mPa.Math.S or more; the content of the second octenylsuccinic acid-treated starch is 12-45 mass %, inclusive, relative to the entire octenylsuccinic acid-treated starch mixture; the dextrose equivalent weight of the dextrin is 10 or more; and the content of the medium-chain fatty-acid triglyceride is 65-85 mass %, inclusive, relative to the entire powdered oil and/or fat.

A process for the extraction of lipids from algal biomass comprising: —producing an aqueous suspension of algal biomass; —adding to said aqueous suspension of algal biomass at least one organic solvent immiscible or substantially immiscible with water obtaining an organic-aqueous mixture; —subjecting said organic-aqueous mixture to evaporation of water and lipid extraction, operating at a temperature such to obtain the substantial complete removal of the water from said organic-aqueous mixture, obtaining: (i) an organic phase comprising lipids and said organic solvent; (ii) a semi-solid phase comprising a residue of said algal biomass.

A process for the extraction of lipids from algal biomass comprising: —producing an aqueous suspension of algal biomass; —adding to said aqueous suspension of algal biomass at least one organic solvent immiscible or substantially immiscible with water obtaining an organic-aqueous mixture; —subjecting said organic-aqueous mixture to evaporation of water and lipid extraction, operating at a temperature such to obtain the substantial complete removal of the water from said organic-aqueous mixture, obtaining: (i) an organic phase comprising lipids and said organic solvent; (ii) a semi-solid phase comprising a residue of said algal biomass.

Provided is means of powderizing a liquid component, wherein the powderizing agent contains an oil and/or fat composition, the oil and/or fat composition contains an oil and/or fat component which contains one or more types of XXX-type triglycerides having fatty acid residues X, each with x carbon atoms, at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, x, the number of carbon atoms, is an integer selected from 10 to 22, and the XXX-type triglyceride is contained at 50% by mass or more relative to a content of the oil and/or fat component being 100% by mass; or the powderizing agent, wherein the oil and/or fat composition is a powder oil and/or fat composition having a loose bulk density of 0.05 to 0.6 g/cm.sup.3, the oil and/or fat component contains a β-type oil and/or fat, and a particle of the powder oil and/or fat composition has a plate shape.

Provided is means of powderizing a liquid component, wherein the powderizing agent contains an oil and/or fat composition, the oil and/or fat composition contains an oil and/or fat component which contains one or more types of XXX-type triglycerides having fatty acid residues X, each with x carbon atoms, at positions 1 to 3 of glycerin, x, the number of carbon atoms, is an integer selected from 10 to 22, and the XXX-type triglyceride is contained at 50% by mass or more relative to a content of the oil and/or fat component being 100% by mass; or the powderizing agent, wherein the oil and/or fat composition is a powder oil and/or fat composition having a loose bulk density of 0.05 to 0.6 g/cm.sup.3, the oil and/or fat component contains a β-type oil and/or fat, and a particle of the powder oil and/or fat composition has a plate shape.

A method of obtaining paraffinic hydrocarbons from fat, by an exemplary method, whereby the method is performed in two stages, in a coupled flow-type system, under atmospheric pressure conditions, in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts, after their thermal activation, so that in Stage I the fat and/or waste fat is heated at a temperature range of 100-500° C., in the presence of an inert gas, in the presence of a catalyst in the form of a metal oxide on an oxide support or in the form of a mixture of at least two metal oxides on an oxide support. The product obtained in Stage I is treated, in the presence of an inert gas, at a temperature range of 100-500° C., in the presence of a metallic catalyst on an oxide support, with hydrogen gas or with a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, obtained in the selective decomposition of methanol.

A method of obtaining paraffinic hydrocarbons from fat, by an exemplary method, whereby the method is performed in two stages, in a coupled flow-type system, under atmospheric pressure conditions, in the presence of heterogeneous catalysts, after their thermal activation, so that in Stage I the fat and/or waste fat is heated at a temperature range of 100-500° C., in the presence of an inert gas, in the presence of a catalyst in the form of a metal oxide on an oxide support or in the form of a mixture of at least two metal oxides on an oxide support. The product obtained in Stage I is treated, in the presence of an inert gas, at a temperature range of 100-500° C., in the presence of a metallic catalyst on an oxide support, with hydrogen gas or with a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, obtained in the selective decomposition of methanol.

Disclosed is a method for producing a drilling fluid, comprising: a) preparing mixed fatty acids from a biomass-derived oil, b) subjecting the mixed fatty acids of step a) to an estolide reaction with a light acid to give an estolide, and c) esterifying the estolide of step b) with an alcohol to obtain the drilling fluid.

Disclosed is a method for producing a drilling fluid, comprising: a) preparing mixed fatty acids from a biomass-derived oil, b) subjecting the mixed fatty acids of step a) to an estolide reaction with a light acid to give an estolide, and c) esterifying the estolide of step b) with an alcohol to obtain the drilling fluid.

Provided are methods, processes and systems for treating a soapstock. In alternative embodiments, provided are systems and methods for treating a soapstock to generate free fatty acids and/or fatty acid derivatives, e.g. fatty acid alkyl esters. In alternative embodiments, provided are systems and methods for realizing the full fatty acid yield of a soapstock by first converting substantially all of the saponifiable material in a soapstock to salts of fatty acids (soaps) and acidulating the soaps to generate free fatty acids and/or fatty acid derivatives, e.g. fatty acid alkyl esters, wherein the soapstock comprises soaps and saponifiable lipids, e.g. glycerides and/or phospholipids, and the generating of free fatty acids and/or fatty acid is achieved.