US 6,057,462 AGranted

Isolation and purification of sterols from neutrals fraction of tall oil pitch by single decantation crystallization

AssigneeWestvaco Corporation

InventorsPhilip L. Robinson, Thomas J. Cuff, Julian E. Parker, III

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Abstract

Sterols from the solvent-extracted or distilled neutrals of saponified tall oil pitch are disclosed to be isolated and purified by a process of a liquid-liquid extraction where the hydrocarbon extraction stream is washed with an aqueous methanol solution to remove methanol-soluble impurities by adding the methanol and water, sequentially or as a blend. The resulting hydrocarbon/neutrals/methanol/water solution separates into an upper organic phase and a lower methanol/water phase, which lower phase is removed. The remaining organic phase is allowed to cool to from about 20-30.degree. C., with agitation, to facilitate crystallization of sterols, which crystals are recovered by filtering.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method for the isolation of sterols from sulfate pulping process tall oil pitch comprising the steps of:

(a) saponifying the tall oil pitch;
(b) extracting the neutral fraction from the saponified tall oil pitch;
(c) blending a hydrocarbon solution of the neutrals with an alcohol solvent at a temperature greater than the crystallization temperature of sterol to produce a hydrocarbon/neutrals/alcohol solution;
(d) adding water of a temperature higher than that of the hydrocarbon/neutrals/alcohol solution to separate into an upper organic phase and a lower alcohol/water phase;
(e) removing the lower alcohol/water phase;
(f) allowing the remaining upper organic phase to cool to a final temperature from about 20.degree. C. to about 30.degree. C. to produce sterol crystals;
(g) recovering the sterol crystals from the cooled solution;
and
(h) washing the recovered sterol crystals with a hydrocarbon solvent to obtain a sterol yield of at least 60% and a sterol purity of at least 90%.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.