Provided are methods to destabilize emulsion feedstocks. Benefits of the provided methods include a reducing or eliminating the amount of acid necessary to process the feedstocks, less processing time, cleaner separation of the resulting phases, and increased recovery of valuable products. In the methods, a moderate temperature is applied to the feedstock to create a first mixture. The moderate temperature may be between 120 and 220 degrees Celsius. The first mixture is mixed at the moderate temperature, such as by staged mixing in some embodiments. Moreover, the first mixture is retained at the moderate temperature for up to six hours. The first mixture is separated into an oil phase, convoluted phase, and a water phase. In some embodiments, the moderate temperature may be 125 to 150 degrees Celsius, such as between 125 and 130 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the first mixture may be retained at the moderate temperature for between forty-five minutes and four hours, such as from two to four hours. The separation may occur at the moderate temperature.

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.

A method and arrangement for separating tall oil products from a black liquor-containing boiling liquid that has been drained off, was produced within a kraft mill chip digester, and includes a fibrous cellulose material in a mixture with the black liquor and tall oil products, and where the boiling liquid is separated in a separation unit arranged to mechanically separate the boiling liquid into a fibrous cellulose material and a mixture of mixed black liquor and tall oil products, where the mixture of boiling liquid and tall oil products is brought to a separation tank, the separation tank being a gravity separation tank, and adapted to be emptied in a discontinuous manner of the tall oil product collected and concentrated therein, the tall oil products being floated on top of and above a fraction of mixed black liquor, where the tall oil products is brought to a centrifugal separator.

The present invention provides methods of processing lipid materials such as soapstock, wet gums and dry gums. Enzymes are utilized to catalyze hydrolysis of the lipids materials to recover fatty acids. Addition of organic acids and/or polyols improved yield of fatty acids and reduced formation of emulsion. Lipid materials can be formulated with other agricultural products as new value-added animal feed products. Further, a process for concentrating nitrogenous compounds such as choline, inositol, ethanolamine and serine from phospholipid materials obtained as byproducts from vegetable oil refining is provided. The process involves performing hydrolysis of the gum based products in the presence of an alcoholic solvent and acid catalyst. Post hydrolysis, gums breakdown to oil and water phases which are further separated and concentrated. These concentrated products may be further fractionated to concentrate individual nitrogenous compounds.

The present invention provides methods of processing lipid materials such as soapstock, wet gums and dry gums. Enzymes are utilized to catalyze hydrolysis of the lipids materials to recover fatty acids. Addition of organic acids and/or polyols improved yield of fatty acids and reduced formation of emulsion. Lipid materials can be formulated with other agricultural products as new value-added animal feed products. Further, a process for concentrating nitrogenous compounds such as choline, inositol, ethanolamine and serine from phospholipid materials obtained as byproducts from vegetable oil refining is provided. The process involves performing hydrolysis of the gum based products in the presence of an alcoholic solvent and acid catalyst. Post hydrolysis, gums breakdown to oil and water phases which are further separated and concentrated. These concentrated products may be further fractionated to concentrate individual nitrogenous compounds.

Methods for producing oil from fats and oils having high free fatty acid content are provided. In the method, fats and oils are treated with a mixture including an alcohol to result in a low-free fatty acid oily phase and an alcohol phase. The mixture may also include an alkali. The alcohol may be a monohydric alcohol and an aqueous alcohol, such as an aqueous alcohol having a concentration of at least about 15% alcohol-by-weight. The low-free fatty acid phase may include oil and at least one impurity. The low-free fatty acid phase may be cooled, and the oil may be separated from the at least one impurity. Fats and oils amenable to such a method may include, but are not limited to, waste fats, waste oils, high acid grease, high acid tallow, sorghum heat oil, and corn oil, such as corn oil produced at an ethanol production plant.

Methods for producing oil from fats and oils having high free fatty acid content are provided. In the method, fats and oils are treated with a mixture including an alcohol to result in a low-free fatty acid oily phase and an alcohol phase. The mixture may also include an alkali. The alcohol may be a monohydric alcohol and an aqueous alcohol, such as an aqueous alcohol having a concentration of at least about 15% alcohol-by-weight. The low-free fatty acid phase may include oil and at least one impurity. The low-free fatty acid phase may be cooled, and the oil may be separated from the at least one impurity. Fats and oils amenable to such a method may include, but are not limited to, waste fats, waste oils, high acid grease, high acid tallow, sorghum heat oil, and corn oil, such as corn oil produced at an ethanol production plant.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, comprising obtaining a lecithin-containing material, in some aspects derived from a crude refining stream, comprising 20-80 wt % acetone insoluble matter, 1-30 wt % free fatty acid, and less than 10 wt % water, adding a fatty acid or carboxylic source to the lecithin-containing material to obtain a lecithin fatty acid blend or lecithin carboxylic acid blend and incorporating the blend into asphalt or oil field applications.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, comprising obtaining a lecithin-containing material, in some aspects derived from a crude refining stream, comprising 20-80 wt % acetone insoluble matter, 1-30 wt % free fatty acid, and less than 10 wt % water, adding a fatty acid or carboxylic source to the lecithin-containing material to obtain a lecithin fatty acid blend or lecithin carboxylic acid blend and incorporating the blend into asphalt or oil field applications.

A method to produce crude tall oil (CTO) having a reduced sulfur content is disclosed. Black liquor soap (BLS) is treated with 0.05 to 0.45% by weight H.sub.2O.sub.2. Hydrogen peroxide treated BLS compositions, CTO compositions, and chemical compositions derived thereof, including depitched CTO, TOP, depitched CTO distillation fractions, and products derived therefrom are disclosed. The use of a small amount of H.sub.2O.sub.2 results in a decreased degree of foaming.