A method is disclosed of purifying a recycled or renewable organic material, wherein the recycled or renewable organic material contains more than 20 ppm Cl. Exemplary methods include (a) providing the recycled or renewable organic material; (b) purifying the organic recycled or renewable organic material to obtain a purified recycled or renewable organic material, and (c) hydrotreating the purified recycled or renewable organic material in a presence of a hydrotreating catalyst at a temperature from 270 to 380° C. under pressure from 4 to 20 MPa and under continuous hydrogen flow; to obtain purified hydrotreated recycled or renewable organic material.

A method is disclosed of purifying a recycled or renewable organic material, wherein the recycled or renewable organic material contains more than 20 ppm Cl. Exemplary methods include (a) providing the recycled or renewable organic material; (b) purifying the organic recycled or renewable organic material to obtain a purified recycled or renewable organic material, and (c) hydrotreating the purified recycled or renewable organic material in a presence of a hydrotreating catalyst at a temperature from 270 to 380° C. under pressure from 4 to 20 MPa and under continuous hydrogen flow; to obtain purified hydrotreated recycled or renewable organic material.

In an aspect, a method is disclosed that includes contacting a composition with an aqueous solution to yield a mixture, where the composition includes one or more of animal fats, animal oils, plant fats, plant oils, vegetable fats, vegetable oils, greases, and used cooking oil, about 5 wt. % or more of free fatty acids, about 10 wppm or more of total metals, about 8 wppm or more phosphorus, about 20 wppm or more of nitrogen, and the aqueous solution includes ((NH.sub.4).sub.2H.sub.2EDTA, (NH.sub.4).sub.4EDTA, a monoammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a diammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a triammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a tetraammonium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, (NH.sub.4).sub.5DTPA, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.4EDTA, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.2H.sub.2EDTA, a combination of citric acid and a monosodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a disodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a trisodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and a tetrasodium salt of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a combination of citric acid and Na.sub.5DTPA, or a combination of any two or more thereof, where the method further includes centrifuging the mixture to yield a first treated composition, wherein the first treated composition has less total metals and less phosphorus than the composition.

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.

The present technology provides a process of reducing, removing or eliminating organohalo, glycidol, and oxirane species from carboxylic acid esters streams and crude and refined triglyceride oils to provide a carboxylic acid ester stream or triglyceride oil with reduced levels or essentially free of organohalo, glycidyl or other oxirane species. The process includes adding to the carboxylic acid ester stream or triglyceride oil an amount of a carboxylate anion and a cation counterion sufficient to react with the organohalo, glycidyl and oxirane species present.

The present technology provides a process of reducing, removing or eliminating organohalo, glycidol, and oxirane species from carboxylic acid esters streams and crude and refined triglyceride oils to provide a carboxylic acid ester stream or triglyceride oil with reduced levels or essentially free of organohalo, glycidyl or other oxirane species. The process includes adding to the carboxylic acid ester stream or triglyceride oil an amount of a carboxylate anion and a cation counterion sufficient to react with the organohalo, glycidyl and oxirane species present.

The invention relates to processes for the refining of oils. In particular, the invention relates to processes for the refining of oils of biological origin such as vegetable oils.

The invention relates to processes for the refining of oils. In particular, the invention relates to processes for the refining of oils of biological origin such as vegetable oils.

The present technology provides a method that includes contacting a composition with a caustic solution to produce a caustic-treated composition; combining the caustic-treated composition with silica particles to produce a slurry; and removing the silica particles from the slurry to produce a treated composition; wherein the composition includes one or more of animal fats, animal oils, plant fats, plant oils, vegetable fats, vegetable oils, greases, and used cooking oil and the composition includes: at least about 10 wppm of total metals, at least about 8 wppm of phosphorus, at least about 10 wppm of chlorine, at least about 10 wppm of sulfur, at least about 20 wppm of nitrogen, at least about 5 wt. % of free fatty acids; and has an acid number from about 10 mg KOH/g to about 150 mg KOH/g, and the silica particles has a particle size from about 10 microns to about 50 microns, a BET surface area from about 200 m.sup.2/g to about 1000 m.sup.2/g.