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 wheat 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 wheat oil, and corn oil, such as corn oil produced at an ethanol production plant.

The present invention relates to a method for recovering crude tall oil from a soap which method comprises the steps of: determining a correlation between the crude tall oil content and the water content of the soap, determining an amount of acid and water needed in order to separate an optimal amount of crude tall oil from the soap dependent on the crude tall oil content of the soap, measuring the water content of the soap, adding the optimal amount of acid and water to the soap, mixing the added acid and water with the soap whereby an acidulated soap is formed and the crude tall oil is separated and recovering the separated crude tall oil from the acidulated soap.

The present invention relates to a method for recovering crude tall oil from a soap which method comprises the steps of: determining a correlation between the crude tall oil content and the water content of the soap, determining an amount of acid and water needed in order to separate an optimal amount of crude tall oil from the soap dependent on the crude tall oil content of the soap, measuring the water content of the soap, adding the optimal amount of acid and water to the soap, mixing the added acid and water with the soap whereby an acidulated soap is formed and the crude tall oil is separated and recovering the separated crude tall oil from the acidulated soap.

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.

The invention relates to a method for producing an oil rich fraction (OF) from primary feedstock (FS) that comprises water, first salt, second salt, and biomass. The feedstock (FS) is provided to a first reaction zone (Z1) of a conversion reactor (100), where it is allowed to react at a temperature of at least 350 C. in a pressure of at least 160 bar to form converted primary feedstock. The method comprises separating from the converted primary feedstock a first salt rich fraction (SF1), a second salt rich fraction (SF2), and an oil rich fraction (OF). The method comprises withdrawing the oil rich fraction (OF) from the first reaction zone (Z1) and withdrawing the first salt rich fraction (SF1) and the second salt rich fraction (SF2) from the conversion reactor (100). In the method the first salt rich fraction (SF1) comprises at least some of the first salt dissolved in the water, the second salt rich fraction (SF2) comprises at least some of the second salt in solid form, and at least one of the first salt and the second salt is a salt capable of catalysing the reaction of the biomass of the primary feedstock (FS) with the water of the primary feedstock (FS) to produce the oil rich fraction (OF). A device for the same.

Animal and seed based triglycerides are oils used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, energy generation, etc. These triglycerides or glycerol esters are a mixture of triglycerides and free fatty esters (FFA) along with unsaponifiables and gums (MIU). FFA may range from very low, 1% or less, to more than 40% in some rendered animal oils. Corn oil from the wet or dry process of ethanol production may have from 7 to 15% FFA. The varying amount of FFA presents numerous process issues for downstream users of these oils especially in the production of biodiesel, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). FFA about 1 or 2% requires esterification as well as transesterification for the production of FAME. What is needed is a method to perform Glycerolysis. This disclosure describes an improved catalyst system as well as process equipment and operating conditions to allow economical commercialization of Glycerolysis.

Animal and seed based triglycerides are oils used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, energy generation, etc. These triglycerides or glycerol esters are a mixture of triglycerides and free fatty esters (FFA) along with unsaponifiables and gums (MIU). FFA may range from very low, 1% or less, to more than 40% in some rendered animal oils. Corn oil from the wet or dry process of ethanol production may have from 7 to 15% FFA. The varying amount of FFA presents numerous process issues for downstream users of these oils especially in the production of biodiesel, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). FFA about 1 or 2% requires esterification as well as transesterification for the production of FAME. What is needed is a method to perform Glycerolysis. This disclosure describes an improved catalyst system as well as process equipment and operating conditions to allow economical commercialization of Glycerolysis.

The present invention generally provides a process for treating a soapstock. The present invention more particularly provides systems and methods for treating a soapstock to generate free fatty acids and/or fatty acid derivatives, e.g. fatty acid alkyl esters. The present invention more particularly provides 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 without the use of a mineral acid.