Purification of contaminated feedstocks via hydrolysis and acidulation
AssigneeApplied Research Associates, Inc.
InventorsSanjay Nana, Jocelyn Marie Goodwin, Edward N. Coppola, Charles Red, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and devices for decontaminating a contaminated feedstock. Water is mixed with the contaminated feedstock and fed to a reactor to hydrolyze contaminants from the contaminated feedstock. After hydrolyzing contaminants, acid is then added to the mixture of water and feedstock to acidulate contaminants. Acidulating contaminants after hydrolyzing contaminants reduces or prevents the formation of foulants. The hydrolysis and acidulation of contaminants reduces the concentration of contaminants within the contaminated feedstock to produce a clean feedstock.
Claims15
A process for reducing contaminants in a contaminated feedstock, the process comprising:
- forming a mixture by adding water to the contaminated feedstock,
- wherein the contaminated feedstock comprises phospholipids and metal soaps;
- feeding the mixture into a reactor at a first temperature, a first pressure, and turbulent flow for a residence time, wherein the turbulent flow is characterized by a Reynolds number greater than 50,000;
- maintaining the first temperature, the first pressure, and the turbulent flow for the residence time to hydrolyze the phospholipids and produce glycerides that partition into an organic phase of a reactor effluent exiting the reactor, and phosphate salts that partition into an aqueous phase of the reactor effluent;
- reducing a temperature of the reactor effluent to a second temperature via a heat exchanger to a second temperature at least 50° C. lower than the first temperature to generate a cooled reactor effluent;
- adding acid, after hydrolysis has occurred, to the cooled reactor effluent to form an acid-effluent mixture and acidulate the metal soaps and produce metal salts that partition into the aqueous phase and fatty acids that partition into the organic phase;
- and
- separating the acid-effluent mixture into a clean oil product comprising the organic phase of the reactor effluent and a wastewater stream comprising the aqueous phase of the reactor effluent.
A process for reducing contaminants in a contaminated feedstock, the process comprising:
- forming a mixture by adding water to the contaminated feedstock,
- wherein the contaminated feedstock comprises phospholipids and metal soaps,
- wherein no acid or metal scavenger is introduced prior to or within a reactor;
- feeding the mixture into a reactor and subjecting the mixture to an operating temperature, an operating pressure, and turbulent flow characterized by a Reynolds number greater than 50,000 for a residence time;
- maintaining the operating temperature, the operating pressure, and the turbulent flow for the residence time to hydrolyze the phospholipids and produce glycerides that partition into an organic phase of a reactor effluent exiting a reactor and phosphate salts that partition into an aqueous phase of the reactor effluent;
- reducing a temperature of the reactor effluent via a heat exchanger to a second temperature that is lower than the operating temperature to generate a cooled reactor effluent;
- adding acid, after hydrolysis has occurred, to the reactor effluent to form an acid-effluent mixture and acidulate the metal soaps and produce metal salts that partition into the aqueous phase and fatty acids that partition into the organic phase;
- and
- separating the acid-effluent mixture into a clean oil product and a wastewater stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.