Biological compositions containing animal fats and plant oils desirably are free of contaminants prior to processing into a biofuel. Disclosed herein is a method of removing such contaminants from these compositions to make that processing more efficient. The method employs a unique arrangement of mixers and centrifuges along with acidic solutions and recycle streams to remove these contaminants from the compositions.

Biological compositions containing animal fats and plant oils desirably are free of contaminants prior to processing into a biofuel. Disclosed herein is a method of removing such contaminants from these compositions to make that processing more efficient. The method employs a unique arrangement of mixers and centrifuges along with acidic solutions and recycle streams to remove these contaminants from the compositions.

A process and apparatus for recovering crude tall oil are disclosed. Acidulation of a crude tall oil soap stream generates a spent acid stream that comprises lignin and entrained crude tall oil. By subjecting the spent acid stream to dissolved gas flotation, a lignin phase comprising entrained crude tall oil can be recovered and causticized, resulting in recovery of most of the crude tall oil that was present in the spent acid stream. A clarified spent acid stream is also generated, which can be treated with caustic and utilized for a soap washing process that integrates easily into the overall CTO recovery process. The apparatus comprises a crude tall oil acidulation unit, a dissolved gas flotation unit, a causticizing unit, and a soap separation unit. The inventive process marries dissolved gas flotation, a well-known water treatment process, with causticization of a recovered lignin phase, a step known from batch acidulation, to improve overall tall oil recovery from a continuous process.

A process and apparatus for recovering crude tall oil are disclosed. Acidulation of a crude tall oil soap stream generates a spent acid stream that comprises lignin and entrained crude tall oil. By subjecting the spent acid stream to dissolved gas flotation, a lignin phase comprising entrained crude tall oil can be recovered and causticized, resulting in recovery of most of the crude tall oil that was present in the spent acid stream. A clarified spent acid stream is also generated, which can be treated with caustic and utilized for a soap washing process that integrates easily into the overall CTO recovery process. The apparatus comprises a crude tall oil acidulation unit, a dissolved gas flotation unit, a causticizing unit, and a soap separation unit. The inventive process marries dissolved gas flotation, a well-known water treatment process, with causticization of a recovered lignin phase, a step known from batch acidulation, to improve overall tall oil recovery from a continuous process.

A process and system for reducing contaminants contained in a contaminated feedstock comprising mixing the contaminated feedstock with water and at least one of metal scavengers or reactants, to form a feedstock-water-reactant mixture, feeding the mixture under pressure into a hydrothermal purification reactor, wherein the mixture is subject to heat, pressure, and turbulent flow conditions to cause rapid reaction of the inorganic contaminants with the metal scavengers or reactants to form inorganic salts that partition into an aqueous phase and maintaining the temperature, pressure, and turbulent flow conditions of the feedstock-water-reactant mixture for a predetermined space time to prevent the organic portion of the feedstock in the mixture from undergoing a conversion reaction and to form a hydrothermal reactor effluent; and separating the effluent into the aqueous phase containing salts of the inorganic contaminants and an organic phase that contains a lower concentration of inorganic contaminants than the contaminated feedstock.

A method for preparing functional edible oil rich in phytosterol esters and diglycerides includes steps of: 1) adding a raw material: adding phytosterol, triglyceride and a molecular sieve into a reactor, wherein a ratio of the phytosterol and the triglyceride is 1:2-1:4, a molecular sieve amount is 50 g/L; heating to 50-60° C. and stirring for 30-60 min, for obtaining a pre-mixture; 2) providing non-aqueous enzymatic transesterification: adding 5-20 g/L lipase into the pre-mixture, adding 100-200 ppm antioxidant, stirring and reacting for 8-12 h with a temperature of 50-60° C. and an atmospheric pressure, stopping heating and naturally cooling to a room temperature; and 3) post-treating: after reaction, removing the lipase and the molecular sieve by centrifugation, for obtaining the functional edible oil. The functional edible oil rich in two nutritional active components is obtained by the one-step method. Products of the present invention do not need separation and purification, and operation is simple.

There is described a process and an apparatus for purifying a mixture and related products. In particular, there is described a process and an apparatus for purifying a mixture comprising fats, oils and greases as are typically found in sewer waste. The process involves heating, acidifying and separating the mixture. The apparatus used includes a heating and separation device for separating into a solid fraction, an organic liquid fraction and an aqueous liquid fraction. Apparatus such as a three phase separation unit and a rotary vacuum filter may also be used.

There is described a process and an apparatus for purifying a mixture and related products. In particular, there is described a process and an apparatus for purifying a mixture comprising fats, oils and greases as are typically found in sewer waste. The process involves heating, acidifying and separating the mixture. The apparatus used includes a heating and separation device for separating into a solid fraction, an organic liquid fraction and an aqueous liquid fraction. Apparatus such as a three phase separation unit and a rotary vacuum filter may also be used.

Products produced from distillers corn oil include once refined corn oil product, food grade corn oil product, and free fatty acid product which may be used in a variety of applications. The products have varying specifications for free fatty acid content and moisture content. The applications include food, feed, additives, and manufacture of industrial products.

Products produced from distillers corn oil include once refined corn oil product, food grade corn oil product, and free fatty acid product which may be used in a variety of applications. The products have varying specifications for free fatty acid content and moisture content. The applications include food, feed, additives, and manufacture of industrial products.