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.

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 hydrotreating and isomerization pre-treatment process in a biofuel production plant, which is characterized in that it occurs from a raw supply consisting of an organic feed comprising secondary materials such as frying oils, category 1 animal fats, residual oils or by-products consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides and free fatty acids, which is added to a recycling stream consisting of a mixture of mono-, di- and triglycerides free of impurities and exiting an esterification unit, said process occurring by means of hydrolysis with excess water, under controlled pressure and temperature conditions, thus obtaining the partial or total conversion of the supply into glycerol and fatty acids, the excess water introduced into the hydrolysis process acting as a solvent for impurities of various nature present in ionic form, thus removing most of the heavy metals, as well as of the chlorides present in said supply.

A hydrotreating and isomerization pre-treatment process in a biofuel production plant, which is characterized in that it occurs from a raw supply consisting of an organic feed comprising secondary materials such as frying oils, category 1 animal fats, residual oils or by-products consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides and free fatty acids, which is added to a recycling stream consisting of a mixture of mono-, di- and triglycerides free of impurities and exiting an esterification unit, said process occurring by means of hydrolysis with excess water, under controlled pressure and temperature conditions, thus obtaining the partial or total conversion of the supply into glycerol and fatty acids, the excess water introduced into the hydrolysis process acting as a solvent for impurities of various nature present in ionic form, thus removing most of the heavy metals, as well as of the chlorides present in said supply.

The present disclosure relates to improvements in snow removal vehicles. A vehicle is disclosed, wherein the vehicle may have a reduced turning radius, or a zero-turn radius. The present disclosure also relates to improvements in snow shovels attached to the vehicle, including disclosure directed to a snow shovel mounted to the middle of the vehicle, rather than to the vehicle's front. Further yet, the present application discloses a snow shovel which is interchangeable with a mower attachment, thereby allowing a vehicle to be used as a snow plow or as a mower.

The present disclosure relates to improvements in snow removal vehicles. A vehicle is disclosed, wherein the vehicle may have a reduced turning radius, or a zero-turn radius. The present disclosure also relates to improvements in snow shovels attached to the vehicle, including disclosure directed to a snow shovel mounted to the middle of the vehicle, rather than to the vehicle's front. Further yet, the present application discloses a snow shovel which is interchangeable with a mower attachment, thereby allowing a vehicle to be used as a snow plow or as a mower.

A hydrotreating and isomerization pre-treatment process in a biofuel production plant, which is characterized in that it occurs from a raw supply consisting of an organic feed comprising secondary materials such as frying oils, category 1 animal fats, residual oils or by-products consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides and free fatty acids, which is added to a recycling stream consisting of a mixture of mono-, di- and triglycerides free of impurities and exiting an esterification unit, said process occurring by means of hydrolysis with excess water, under controlled pressure and temperature conditions, thus obtaining the partial or total conversion of the supply into glycerol and fatty acids, the excess water introduced into the hydrolysis process acting as a solvent for impurities of various nature present in ionic form, thus removing most of the heavy metals, as well as of the chlorides present in said supply.

A hydrotreating and isomerization pre-treatment process in a biofuel production plant, which is characterized in that it occurs from a raw supply consisting of an organic feed comprising secondary materials such as frying oils, category 1 animal fats, residual oils or by-products consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides and free fatty acids, which is added to a recycling stream consisting of a mixture of mono-, di- and triglycerides free of impurities and exiting an esterification unit, said process occurring by means of hydrolysis with excess water, under controlled pressure and temperature conditions, thus obtaining the partial or total conversion of the supply into glycerol and fatty acids, the excess water introduced into the hydrolysis process acting as a solvent for impurities of various nature present in ionic form, thus removing most of the heavy metals, as well as of the chlorides present in said supply.

A method for manufacturing a bio-liquid fuel wherein microalgae containing an oil/fat are brought into contact with a supercritical or subcritical methanol, or a supercritical or subcritical ethanol, in the presence of a catalyst that is an oxide containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of metals of group 2 to group 13 in the periodic table, lanthanoids and actinoids.

A method for manufacturing a bio-liquid fuel wherein microalgae containing an oil/fat are brought into contact with a supercritical or subcritical methanol, or a supercritical or subcritical ethanol, in the presence of a catalyst that is an oxide containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of metals of group 2 to group 13 in the periodic table, lanthanoids and actinoids.