Process for refining crude tall oil
AssigneeUpm-Kymmene Corporation
InventorsJari Kotoneva, Timo Äijälä
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to a method for refining crude tall oil, wherein the method comprises first evaporating tall oil material (10) in a first evaporator (100) whereafter the first fraction (11) is fed to a first distilling column (200) and the second fraction (12) is fed to further evaporation. The condensate(s) recovered from the further evaporation(s) is fed to a second distilling column (300). The present disclosure further concerns the use of different fractions obtained by the method for the production of biofuels or components thereof.
Claims22
A method for refining crude tall oil, characterized in that the method comprises
- (a) evaporating tall oil material (10) in a first evaporator (100) at a temperature between 255 and 295° C. and a pressure between 80 and 220 mbar to obtain a first fraction (11) comprising crude sulphate turpentine, light fatty acids, light neutrals, silicon compounds and water and a second fraction (12) comprising fatty acids, resin acids, neutral substances and residue components;
- (b1) evaporating said second fraction (12) in a second evaporator (110) at a temperature between 230 and 270° C. and a pressure between 5 and 20 mbar to obtain a third fraction (13) comprising fatty acids, resin acids and light neutral substances, and a first concentrate fraction (14);
- and evaporating said first concentrate fraction (14) in a third evaporator (120) at a temperature between 280 and 320° C. and a pressure between 5 and 20 mbar to produce a fourth fraction (16) comprising fatty acids, resin acids and light neutral substances, and a residue fraction (15);
- or alternatively
- (b2) evaporating said second fraction (12) in a second evaporator (110) at a temperature between 300 and 340° C. and a pressure between 3 and 10 mbar to obtain a third fraction (13) comprising fatty acids, resin acids and neutral substances and a residue fraction (15);
- whereafter the method further comprises
- (c) distilling said first fraction (11) in a first distilling column (200) to obtain at least a crude fatty acid fraction (20);
- (d) distilling said third (13) and said fourth fraction (16) of step (b1) or said third fraction (13) of step (b2) in a second distilling column (300) to obtain at least a crude fatty acid fraction (30);
- and
- (e) recovering a combined crude fatty acid fraction (40) from said first distilling column (200) and said second distilling column (300).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.