Process for separating unsaponifiable valuable products from raw materials

A process for obtaining purified tall oil, comprising:

• providing crude tall oil comprising one or more unsaponifiable compounds and two or more saponifiable compounds, wherein the saponifiable compounds comprises fatty acids and rosin acids in free acid and/or soap form;
• reacting the saponifiable compounds with a metal soap-forming compound to make a first product comprising metal soaps and one or more unsaponifiable compounds;
• and
• distilling or evaporating one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of lights, medium-lights, water, and unsaponifiable compounds from the first product;
• distilling a mixture of metal soaps and one or more unsaponifiable compounds to form a distillate comprising at least a portion of the unsaponifiable compounds and a residue comprising the metal soaps;
• and
• acidifying the residue to form a mixture comprising the rosin acids and fatty acids substantially in free acid form.