Triglyceride oils having one or more populations of asymmetric triglyceride molecules are provided. Asymmetric triglyceride molecule populations are triglyceride molecules that consist of a C8:0 fatty acid or a C10:0 fatty acid at the sn-1 position and the sn-2 position, and C16:0 or C18:0 at the sn-3 position. Another population of asymmetric triglyceride molecules are triglyceride molecules that consist of a C16:0 fatty acid or a C18:0 fatty acid at the sn-1 position and the sn-2 position, and C8:0 or C10:0 fatty acid at the sn-3 position. Methods of producing triglyceride oils and using the same are provided using sucrose invertase and hydrogenation of the triglyceride oil. Triglyceride molecules are produced by using recombinant DNA techniques to produce oleaginous recombinant cells.

A process involves sequentially treating a plurality of lipid feedstocks comprising a set of lipid feedstocks each having a chloride content of at least about 2 ppm with a metal oxide catalyst on an oxide support under first treating conditions to produce respective treated streams of the set of lipid feedstocks having a chloride content less than 1 ppm until a given one of the respective treated streams has a chloride content greater than 1 ppm and the metal oxide catalyst is converted to a spent metal oxide catalyst, converting the spent metal oxide catalyst to a rejuvenated metal oxide catalyst, and treating one or more additional lipid feedstocks each having a chloride content of at least about 2 ppm with the rejuvenated metal oxide catalyst under second treating conditions to produce one or more respective treated streams each having a chloride content less than 1 ppm.

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.

A method for producing renewable diesel includes introducing a primary feedstock comprising biologically-derived triglycerides with catalyst poisons into a first reaction chamber and hydrolyzing the primary feedstock within the first reaction and liquid-liquid extraction chamber for at least an hour such that the reacted triglycerides are separated into an aqueous solution comprising glycerol and catalyst poisons, and an intermediate feedstock comprising free fatty acids and catalyst poisons. The method also includes distilling the intermediate feedstock to separate the intermediate feedstock into a purified intermediate stream and a lower volume bottom stream containing unreacted triglyceride, diglyceride, monoglyceride, FFA and catalyst poisons. The method also includes combining the purified intermediate feedstock with a hydrogen stream and converting, in a second reaction chamber comprising a metallic catalyst bed, the purified intermediate feedstock into a product comprising long-chain alkanes. The method also includes hydrotreating the purified intermediate feedstock into a renewable diesel product.

A formulation for solidifying used cooking oil or grease and methods of making and using the same is disclosed. The formulation comprises hydrogenated castor oil, sometimes having a flake morphology. In some embodiments, the formulation has a melting point of between 70 and 80 C. and a density between 0.7 and 1.0 g/L. In some embodiments, the formulation is created by heating castor oil in the presence of a catalyst until at least some of the ricinoleic acid content in the castor oil is reduced to form hydrogenated castor oil in a reaction mixture. The method of using the formulation comprises the steps of mixing the formulation and used cooking oil or grease at an elevated temperature until the formulation completely dissolves into the used cooking oil to form a formulation mixture, and waiting until the formulation mixture cools and solidifies prior to disposal.

A method for preparing a ketone group-containing estolide compound and a ketone group-containing estolide compound prepared thereby are disclosed. The method for preparing a ketone group-containing estolide compound includes converting biomass fat into a fatty acid; separating the fatty acid into a C16 saturated fatty acid and a C18 unsaturated fatty acid; increasing an amount of oleic acid through partial hydrogenation of the C18 unsaturated fatty acid; synthesizing a C35 ketone through ketonization of the oleic acid; and performing estolide bonding by capping the C16 saturated fatty acid onto the C35 ketone.

The present invention provides a method for simultaneous production of components suitable for production of base oil and fuel components. In the method a feedstock comprising fatty acids and/or fatty acid esters is entered into a reaction zone and subjected to a ketonization reaction in the presence of a dual catalyst system. This system is configured to perform a ketonization reaction and a hydrotreatment reaction, under hydrogen pressure. Subsequently ketones are obtained.

A process involves sequentially treating a plurality of lipid feedstocks comprising a set of lipid feedstocks each having a chloride content of at least about 2 ppm with a metal oxide catalyst on an oxide support under first treating conditions to produce respective treated streams of the set of lipid feedstocks having a chloride content less than 1 ppm until a given one of the respective treated streams has a chloride content greater than 1 ppm and the metal oxide catalyst is converted to a spent metal oxide catalyst, converting the spent metal oxide catalyst to a rejuvenated metal oxide catalyst, and treating one or more additional lipid feedstocks each having a chloride content of at least about 2 ppm with the rejuvenated metal oxide catalyst under second treating conditions to produce one or more respective treated streams each having a chloride content less than 1 ppm.

The present invention provides a method for increasing hydrocarbon chain length. The method comprises providing a feedstock comprising fatty acids and/or fatty acid esters with hydrocarbon chain length below C23 into a reaction zone in which ketonization is conducted in the presence of a hydrotreatment catalyst under hydrogen pressure. The obtained ketones have a hydrocarbon chain length of from C24 to C43. The present invention further provides a method for simultaneous production of base oil components and fuel components.

A formulation for solidifying used cooking oil or grease and methods of making and using the same is disclosed. The formulation comprises hydrogenated castor oil, sometimes having a flake morphology. In some embodiments, the formulation has a melting point of between 70 and 80 C. and a density between 0.7 and 1.0 g/L. In some embodiments, the formulation is created by heating castor oil in the presence of a catalyst until at least some of the ricinoleic acid content in the castor oil is reduced to form hydrogenated castor oil in a reaction mixture. The method of using the formulation comprises the steps of mixing the formulation and used cooking oil or grease at an elevated temperature until the formulation completely dissolves into the used cooking oil to form a formulation mixture, and waiting until the formulation mixture cools and solidifies prior to disposal.