The invention relates to methods for converting algal biomass into a gas or into biocrude comprising (a) gasification or hydrothermal liquefaction of an algal biomass in at least one first reactor, (b) separation of the gas or biocrude produced thereby from the aqueous effluents and the CO.sub.2 produced, at the outlet of the first reactor, (c) recovery of the aqueous effluents, and (d) oxidation of the aqueous effluents in at least one second reactor. Continuous processes for culture of algal biomass and conversion of the algal biomass cultivated into a gas or into a biocrude are also disclosed.

The process is for thermally treating a feed material. The process comprises at least one step performed in a rotating kiln operating under positive pressure with a pressure control system and wherein in the process a sweep gas, that is an inert gas or a substantially non-reactive gas, is injected into the rotating kiln or in the feed stream entering the rotating operating kiln; or at least one step performed in a rotating kiln operating under positive pressure managing system; or at least one step performed in a rotating kiln wherein a sweep gas is injected in the rotating kiln or in the feed stream entering the rotating operating kiln. In step a), or in b) or in step c), the conditions of the thermal treatment are managed in order that the exit stream, after cooling, result in at least one liquid phase that is preferably essentially an oily liquid phase.

The present invention relates to methods of producing industrial products from plant lipids, particularly from vegetative parts of plants. In particular, the present invention provides oil products such as biodiesel and synthetic diesel and processes for producing these, as well as plants having an increased level of one or more non-polar lipids such as triacylglycerols and an increased total non-polar lipid content. In one particular embodiment, the present invention relates to combinations of modifications in two or more of lipid handling enzymes, oil body proteins, decreased lipid catabolic enzymes and/or transcription factors regulating lipid biosynthesis to increase the level of one or more non-polar lipids and/or the total non-polar lipid content and/or mono-unsaturated fatty acid content in plants or any part thereof. In an embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for extracting lipids. In another embodiment, the lipid is converted to one or more hydrocarbon products in harvested plant vegetative parts to produce alkyl esters of the fatty acids which are suitable for use as a renewable biodiesel fuel.

Processes for treating effluent streams in alkylation processes are described. One or more process streams rom HF alkylation processes, H.sub.2SO.sub.4 alkylation processes, or ionic liquid alkylation processes can be thermally oxidized in a thermal oxidation system. The thermal oxidation system can replace at least one of the caustic wash unit, the neutralization unit, and the acid gas treatment unit.

A process for producing water-absorbing polymer particles, comprising the steps of thermal cracking of bionaphtha in the presence of steam, removing propene and at least some of the propane, gas phase oxidation to give acrylic acid and polymerization to give water-absorbing polymer particles.

Provided herein are methods of processing polyester-containing feedstocks to provide hydrocarbon products. Exemplary feedstocks include those containing estolide compounds, which may be processed under thermal and/or catalytic conditions to provide at least one hydrocarbon product.

A method is disclosed of purifying a recycled or renewable organic material, wherein the recycled or renewable organic material includes more than 1 ppm silicon as silicon compounds and/or more than 10 ppm phosphorous as phosphorous compounds. The method can include providing a feed of the lipid material; heat treating the organic material in presence of an adsorbent and the filtering organic material and hydrotreating the lipid material in a presence of a hydrotreating catalyst to obtain purified hydrotreated organic material having less than 20% organic material and/or less than 30% of the original phosphorous content of the organic material.

A non-petroleum or renewable feedstock containing oxygen and contaminants of metals, gums, and resins is treated by introducing the feedstock into a reactor at a flow velocity of from 20 ft/sec to 100 ft/sec. The feedstock is heated within the reactor to a temperature of from 700° F. to 1100° F. to remove and/or reduce the content of the contaminants to form a reactor product. The reactor product is cooled to form a cooled reactor product. Non-condensable gases, metals and water are separated and removed from the cooled reactor product to form a final product. The final product has an oxygen content that is 60% or less of that of the feedstock, and wherein the final product comprises 25 wt % or less any triglycerides, monoglycerides, diglycerides, free fatty acids, phosphatides, sterols, tocopherols, tocotrienols, or fatty alcohols, from 5 wt % to 30 wt % naphtha, and 50 wt % or more diesel.

A pyrolysis device and process to convert a carbonaceous feedstock to a carbon solid and pyrolysis gas, and processes for refining the resulting carbon solid and pyrolysis gases. The pyrolysis process may include introducing a carbonaceous feedstock into a pyrolysis processor having a vertical rotary tray processor, heating the feedstock to a temperature above about 790° F., removing a carbon material from a bottom of the pyrolysis processor, and removing a pyrolysis gas from a top of the pyrolysis processor.

The present disclosure provides methods to transfer a pressurized slurry of plant-based biomass into a reactor vessel. The methods allow for the transfer of practical-sized pieces of biomass in a slurry pressurized to above about 300 psi.