Process for production of fatty acids, fatty acid esters and sterolesters from soapstock

US8426622B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Cognis IP Management GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Peter Kempers · Rheydt, DE
• Ulrich Schörken · Goldkronach, DE
• Thomas Wolf · Haan, DE
• Setsuo Sato · Gravatá, BR
• Wanderson Bueno De Almeida · Campinas, BR
• Pablo Silva Bizzarri · Iguatemi, BR
• Alexssander Shigueru Araujo · Gravatá, BR

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 27, 2007
• Grant date: Apr 23, 2013
• Expiry date: Nov 8, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02W30/74
• WIPO field: Basic materials chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for production of fatty acids directly from soapstock generated in the alkali refining process including the steps of (a) adding a lipase directly to the alkaline soapstock to facilitate hydrolysis of glycerides without prior neutralization, (b) neutralizing and splitting the soaps with strong acids, and (c) separating the fatty acid phase from the aqueous phase by settling and/or centrifugation. A second embodiment is a process in which the soapstock is first neutralized and split with strong acids, followed by adding a lipase to facilitate glyceride hydrolysis, and separating the fatty acid phase. The fatty acids so obtained can be esterified with C1-C6 alcohols using a lipase that is selective for fatty acids and does not transesterify the sterolesters, and the fatty acid esters and sterolesters are separated by distillation.The sterolesters are useful as supplements for food, as pharmaceutical agents for lowering cholesterol and as biofuel and biodiesel.