# US 2010/0167351 A1 · Integrated Methods for Processing Palm Fruit Bunches > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0167351 A1 - Document ID: US20100167351A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/648,483 - Filed: 2009-12-29 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-29 - Assignees: Eyal Researach Consultants Ltd. - Inventors: Aharon Eyal; Carmi Raz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167351A1 ## CPC - C12P 7/10: substrate containing cellulosic material - C11B 1/04: of vegetable raw material {(C11B1/025 takes precedence)} - C11B 13/00: Recovery of fats, fatty oils or fatty acids from waste materials - C11C 3/003: {by esterification of fatty acids with alcohols (C11C3/02 takes precedence)} - C12P 7/6409: Fatty acids - C12P 7/6458: by transesterification, e.g. interesterification, ester interchange, alcoholysis or acidolysis - C12P 7/6463: obtained from glyceride producing microorganisms, e.g. single cell oil - C12P 7/6481: Phosphoglycerides (phosphoglycerides having carboxylic acids with less than seven carbon atoms C12P7/62) - C12P 7/649: Biodiesel, i.e. fatty acid alkyl esters - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - Y02W 30/74: Recovery of fats, fatty oils, fatty acids or other fatty substances, e.g. lanolin or waxes - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} - C11B: PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES (drying-oils C09F) - C11C: FATTY ACIDS FROM FATS, OILS OR WAXES; CANDLES; FATS, OILS OR FATTY ACIDS BY CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF FATS, OILS, OR FATTY ACIDS OBTAINED THEREFROM - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract This invention is directed to an integrated method for the processing of palm fruit bunches to oil and other products. The method comprises inter alia separating palm fruit carrying bunches into fruits and lignocellulosic empty fruit bunches, processing the fruits to form palm oil, and at least one lignocellulosic processing coproduct; generating an aqueous stream; producing a non-oil, non-alcohol, non-fatty acid ester third product from the oil, the lignocellulosic processing coproduct, the aqueous stream or from a combination thereof; processing at least a portion of the lignocellulosic empty fruit bunches, lignocellulosic processing coproduct or a combination thereof into a fourth product and optionally producing at least one fifth conversion product from the fourth product; and using at least a portion of the fourth product or a product of its conversion or a combination thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated method for the processing of palm fruit bunches to oil and other products, said method comprising: a. providing palm fruit carrying bunches and separating said palm fruit carrying bunches into fruits and lignocellulosic empty fruit bunches; b. processing said fruits to form palm oil, and at least one lignocellulosic processing coproduct; c. generating an aqueous stream while carrying out step (a), step (b) or both; d. producing a non-oil, non-alcohol, non-fatty acid ester third product from said oil, said lignocellulosic processing coproduct, said aqueous stream or from a combination thereof; e. processing at least a portion of said lignocellulosic empty fruit bunches, lignocellulosic processing coproduct or a combination thereof into a fourth product and optionally producing at least one fifth conversion product from said fourth product; and f. using at least a portion of said fourth product or a product of its conversion or a combination thereof in said processing in step (b) said producing in step (d), or in a combination thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said fourth product is a fermentable compound, and said method comprises fermenting said fermentable compound into a fermentation product said fermentation product being the fifth product. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein said fermentation product is selected from the group consisting of alcohols; hydrocarbons and esters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein said fermentation product is an ester and said ester is selected from the group consisting of esters of fatty acids. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein said fermentation product is an alcohol formed in a fermentation liquor, and said method further comprises the step of concentrating said alcohol in a distillation column. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein said fermentation product is an alcohol, and said method further comprises the step of reacting said palm oil, palm oil fatty acids or both with said alcohol and producing a fatty acid ester of said alcohol. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein said fermentation product is an alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethanol, propanols, butanols and pentanols or a combination thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein a fatty acid is reacted with said fermentation product. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one fatty compound is extracted by means of said fermentation product, wherein said fatty compound is selected from a group consisting of fatty acids, oil and low-grade oil, further comprising the step of reacting said fatty compound with an alcohol to form their ester. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein said fermentation product is an alcohol and wherein said fatty compound is reacted with said alcohol. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein said processing of at least a portion of said lignocellulosic empty fruit bunches, lignocellulosic processing coproduct or a combination thereof comprises hydrolysis, thermal treatment or a combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein said hydrolysis comprises treatment with sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, another acid, enzymes with cellulose hydrolyzing capacity, enzymes with hemi-cellulose hydrolyzing capacity, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein a wet matter is formed and wherein said fermentation product is ethanol, and said method further comprises a step of drying said wet matter by contacting said wet matter with ethanol to form dried matter and diluted ethanol. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of producing a biodiesel by producing a palm-oil ester and mixing the fermentation product with said ester. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said third product, said fourth product and said fifth product is selected from a group consisting of a vitamin, a flavonoid, a phenolic acid, a hydroxy acid, a sugar, a fertilizer, a polymerizable compound, acetone, an enzyme, a carotenoid and combinations thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises treating said palm fruit carrying bunches with steam, water or a combination thereof at elevated temperatures and generating said aqueous stream. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein processing said fruits comprises digestion, pressing to form crude oil and press cake, separation of fine solids from the crude oil, clarification of said crude oil forming clarified oil and an aqueous effluent, dehydration of clarified oil to form dehydrated clarified oil, treating said press cake for separation of nuts from palm press fiber, cracking said nuts to separate kernels from the palm kernel shell, milling said kernels for extracting palm kernel oil and separating said palm kernel oil from palm kernel cake or combinations thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein said processing further comprises refining said clarified oil, dehydrated clarified oil, palm kernel oil or combinations thereof and wherein refining comprises de-gumming, de-acidification or combinations thereof, and producing a refined oil and at least one of a gum, a fatty acids and a fatty acid alkali salt. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein said fourth product is a fermentable compound, and said method comprises fermenting said fermentable compound into a fermentation product. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of treating at least one of said gum, fatty acid and fatty acid alkali salt with said fermentation product. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of fractionating said oil by means of extraction with said fermentation product. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein said processing generates an aqueous stream, which comprises an aqueous effluent. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein said lignocellulosic processing coproduct comprises a palm press fiber, a palm kernel shell, a palm kernel cake or combinations thereof. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein processing said fruit comprises oil extraction from digested fruit, press cake, separated fine solids, aqueous effluent or products of its treatment, kernel cake or combinations thereof. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein said method comprises processing said lignocellulosic empty fruit bunches, lignocellulosic processing coproduct or a combination thereof into a fermentable product and said method comprises fermenting said fermentable product into a fermentation product. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein said oil extraction is by means of said fermentation product, products thereof and their combinations. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein said oil extraction utilizes a concentrated solution of a fermentation product selected from the group of alcohols, and said method further comprises the step of forming an extract comprising said oil and said alcohol. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method according to claim 27, wherein said oil is recovered from said extract by adding water to said extract, whereby an oil phase and a diluted alcohol phase are formed. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method according to claim 27, wherein said extract is used for the production of a fatty acid ester. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said fourth or fifth product is an ester. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method according to claim 30, wherein said ester is an ester of a fatty acid. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein producing at least one of said third product, said fourth product and said fifth product comprises extraction of said third or fourth product from said aqueous stream or from aqueous fermentation liquor. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32, wherein said third product is a fermentable product and said method comprises fermenting said fermentable product into a fermentation product. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) A method according to claim 32, wherein said extraction is by means of said fermentation product, products thereof and their combinations. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method according to claim 34, further comprising the step of concentrating said aqueous solution, separating insoluble materials in said aqueous stream or both prior to extraction. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said third product is a biological compound. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method according to claim 36, wherein said biological compound is formed by biological conversion. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of said third product, fourth product and fifth product is a fermentation product and wherein said biological compound is separated utilizing said fermentation product. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38, wherein said fourth product is a fermentable compound, and said method comprises fermenting said fermentable compound into a fermentation product. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The method according to claim 38, wherein said biological conversion is selected from a group consisting of (i) growing algae in said generated aqueous stream, (ii) fermenting carbon sources in said aqueous stream and (iii) fermenting said fermentable compounds and combinations thereof.