Desulfurized tall oil and derivatives thereof

A process for desulfurizing a tall oil feedstock having a first sulfur content and an initial odor intensity, comprising:

• a) providing an adsorbent material;
• b) subjecting the tall oil feedstock to a first desulfurization treatment by contacting the adsorbent material in an adsorbent bed,
• wherein the adsorbent material adsorbs a portion of the first sulfur content,
• wherein the adsorbent bed is operated at an adsorption temperature of 20-30° C., at one bar pressure, and at a superficial velocity (V) of at least 0.3 ft/hr;
• c) subjecting the tall oil after the first desulfurization treatment to at least a second desulfurization treatment selected from adsorptive treatment, heat treatment, distillation, extraction, oxidation, reduction, hydrogenation, and sulfur scavenging, obtaining a desulfurized tall oil composition having a reduced sulfur content;
• d) collecting the adsorbent material after the first desulfurization treatment;
• e) regenerating the collected adsorbent material by passing a solvent over the collected adsorbent material for a sufficient period of time for desorption of at least a portion of the first sulfur content from the collected adsorbent material;
• wherein the first desulfurization treatment is before or after the second desulfurization treatment;
• wherein the reduced sulfur content is less than 50% of the first sulfur content;
• wherein the adsorbent material comprises silica adsorbent having an average pore size between 50-200 Å, a BET surface area of 300-1000 m2/g, pore volume of 1.00 to 3.00 cc/g, a silanol [Si—OH] level of 0.5 to 5 unit/nm2, and an equilibrium sulfur loading capacity in the range of 5-20 mg S/g of adsorbent;
• wherein the desulfurized tall oil has an odor intensity reduction of at least 1 unit on odor intensity scale of Offensive Odor Control Act as compared to the initial odor intensity of the tall oil feedstock;
• and
• wherein the adsorbent material in step a) is regenerated adsorbent material.