A process for obtaining free fatty acid and/or free fatty acid ester, including separating a liquid mixture containing the free fatty acid and/or the fatty acid ester by contacting a vapor of the liquid mixture in a column of a distillation apparatus with condensate formed from the vapor running downward. Heat and mass transfer takes place between the vapor and the condensate on column internals. The column has at least 10 theoretical plates and the separation is conducted with a pressure drop between the top and bottom of the column of p of 3.3 mbars. Appropriately, the liquid mixture, contains polyunsaturated fatty acid, preferably omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acid and/or alkyl monoesters and/or glycerol monoesters. In one embodiment the column has at least 30 theoretical plates and the separation is conducted with a pressure drop p between 3.5 mbar and 6 mbar.

A production method of highly unsaturated fatty acids with a high purity/high yield that compensates for shortcomings of conventional techniques is provided. A purification method of highly unsaturated fatty acids and/or derivatives thereof comprising (a) contacting and stirring first raw materials comprising the substances with a first silver salt aqueous solution to collect a first oil layer and a first aqueous layer; (b) separating the first aqueous layer into a second silver salt aqueous solution and the substances; and (c) contacting and stirring the first oil layer with the second silver salt aqueous solution for separation into an oil layer and an aqueous layer to obtain a second aqueous layer comprising the substances.

Ester polyol esters are a unique class of lubricants that have adjustable molecular weights, viscosities, and pour points based on the character of their reaction materials and relative ratios. There is provided a method for preparing at least one ester polyol ester, the method comprising esterifying an ester polyol reaction mixture to produce ester polyol, the reaction mixture comprising an ozone acid mixture and at least one primary polyol, wherein the ozone acid mixture comprises at least one dicarboxylic acid and at least one monocarboxylic acid; and capping the ester polyol with at least one capping carboxylic acid to produce ester polyol ester.

An enzymatic process for the kinetic separation of alkyl esters under organic solvent free conditions is disclosed. Alkyl esters obtained from e.g. fish oil are reacted with glycerol, in the presence of water, at different rates in an evacuated chamber. The reaction is terminated prior to reaching equilibrium and the enriched alkyl ester fraction is isolated from the reaction mixture by short path distillation.

The present disclosure provides an efficient process for separating components of tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) and for purifying TOFA from rosin. The process includes mixing TOFA with a novel solvent system containing urea to form urea clathrates, resulting in separation of saturated fatty acids from unsaturated ones and rosin from TOFA by utilizing proper urea to TOFA ratio.

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.

A process for obtaining free fatty acid and/or free fatty acid ester, including separating a liquid mixture containing the free fatty acid and/or the fatty acid ester by contacting a vapor of the liquid mixture in a column of a distillation apparatus with condensate formed from the vapor running downward. Heat and mass transfer takes place between the vapor and the condensate on column internals. The column has at least 10 theoretical plates and the separation is conducted with a pressure drop between the top and bottom of the column of p of 3.3 mbars. Appropriately, the liquid mixture, contains polyunsaturated fatty acid, preferably omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acid and/or alkyl monoesters and/or glycerol monoesters. In one embodiment the column has at least 30 theoretical plates and the separation is conducted with a pressure drop p between 3.5 mbar and 6 mbar.

A production method of highly unsaturated fatty acids with a high purity/high yield that compensates for shortcomings of conventional techniques is provided.

A purification method of highly unsaturated fatty acids and/or derivatives thereof comprising (a) contacting and stirring first raw materials comprising the substances with a first silver salt aqueous solution to collect a first oil layer and a first aqueous layer; (b) separating the first aqueous layer into a second silver salt aqueous solution and the substances; and (c) contacting and stirring the first oil layer with the second silver salt aqueous solution for separation into an oil layer and an aqueous layer to obtain a second aqueous layer comprising the substances.

One or more techniques are disclosed for a process of preparing stearic acid from animal and/or plant sources may comprise: 1) deodorizing and distilling a fat; 2) concentrating fatty acids of the fat; and 3) hydrogenating the fatty acid to provide stearic acid. The process may include the use of co-products from plant and/or animal sources. The process may also include distilling the stearic acid to provide palmitic acid and/or fully hydrogenated fatty acid. Tallow fatty acid, vegetable fatty acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid prepared from the process described are also disclosed.

The invention provides methods that can be used to separate mixtures of fatty acids and fatty acid esters into individual components or into more concentrated mixtures of individual components.