Biodiesel Purification via Unsaponifiable Fraction Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The commercial-scale production of valuable chemicals from unsaponifiable materials in vegetable oils and biodiesel production is hindered by economic and processing limitations, with these chemicals present in minority quantities and requiring high-capital equipment and complex refining processes, while also impacting biodiesel quality due to the presence of unsaponifiable material in lower-cost feedstocks.

Innovation Solution

A process involving pretreatment of feedstocks to remove impurities, followed by transesterification to produce purified biodiesel and recover unsaponifiable materials through methods like cold filtration, membrane filtration, or distillation, allowing for the recovery of valuable chemicals such as sterols, tocopherols, and steryl esters, and subsequent hydrodeoxygenation to convert biodiesel residues into diesel-range hydrocarbons.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional vegetable oil refining processes are used to recover valuable chemicals, then high purity chemicals can be obtained, but the process requires high-capital equipment and complex refining steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepurity of valuable chemicalsVSAvoidcomplexity of refining process

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts valuable chemicals (sterols, tocopherols, steryl esters) directly from the unsaponifiable fraction obtained during biodiesel production, bypassing the need for complex conventional refining equipment. The unsaponifiable fraction is separated through simple filtration or decantation after the biodiesel production process, and valuable chemicals are recovered through evaporation or crystallization of the filtrate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the recovery of valuable chemicals with the existing biodiesel production process. The unsaponifiable fraction, which would normally be discarded as waste, is utilized as a source of valuable chemicals. This integration eliminates the need for separate complex refining operations and high-capital equipment while maintaining high purity of recovered chemicals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If conventional vegetable oil refining processes are used to recover valuable chemicals, then high purity chemicals can be obtained, but the process is economically inefficient due to low concentration of target chemicals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepurity of valuable chemicalsVSAvoideconomic efficiency of chemical recovery

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding the unsaponifiable fraction as waste during biodiesel production, the patent recovers valuable chemicals (sterols, tocopherols, steryl esters) from this fraction. The unsaponifiable material is filtered or decanted from the biodiesel product, and the filtrate is evaporated or crystallized to obtain concentrated valuable chemicals, thereby converting waste into valuable products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Ease of manufacture

If lower-cost feedstocks containing unsaponifiable material are used for biodiesel production, then production costs are reduced, but biodiesel quality is impacted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecost of biodiesel productionVSAvoidquality of biodiesel

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes unsaponifiable material from the biodiesel product through filtration or decantation of the unsaponifiable fraction. This extraction step eliminates quality-impacting contaminants while allowing the use of lower-cost feedstocks. The filtered biodiesel meets quality specifications, and the removed unsaponifiable fraction is subsequently processed to recover valuable chemicals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Manufacturing precision

If complex refining processes are used to remove unsaponifiable material, then biodiesel quality is improved, but processing time and equipment complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of biodieselVSAvoidcomplexity of purification process

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts unsaponifiable material from biodiesel through simple filtration or decantation steps immediately after the reaction phase. This physical separation method removes quality-impacting contaminants without requiring complex refining equipment or extended processing time, thereby improving biodiesel quality efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This process enhances the economic viability of biodiesel production by producing high-quality biodiesel and valuable co-products, improving the yield and quality of biodiesel while reducing the impact of unsaponifiable materials, and converting biodiesel residues into usable diesel-range hydrocarbons.

Implementation Method 1

reacting the pretreated feedstock in a transesterification reactor with an alcohol to produce a crude biodiesel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTransesterification: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

The crude biodiesel is separated (purified) to produce a biodiesel residue comprising unsaponifiable material and a purified biodiesel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 3

The unsaponifiable material is recovered by solvent extraction

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDistillation: Distillation

Implementation Method 4

subsequent hydrodeoxygenation to convert biodiesel residues into diesel-range hydrocarbons

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrodeoxygenation: Hydrogenation

Data Source

PatentUS12049593B2Methods and devices for producing biodiesel, diesel-range hydrocarbons, and products obtained therefrom

Publication Date: 2024.07.30 RENEWABLE ENERGY GRP INC

AI summary

A process for producing crude biodiesel from renewable feedstocks (such as fats, oils, and greases) containing unsaponifiable materials; purifying the crude biodiesel through a purification process; recovering a purified biodiesel distillate stream and a less volatile biodiesel residue stream; and further recovering valuable chemicals from the biodiesel residue. Specifically, the present technology relates to the concentration of valuable chemicals in the biodiesel residue product of biodiesel production and the subsequent recovery of these valuable chemicals. The process may further include the conversion of the biodiesel residue into diesel range hydrocarbons using hydrodeoxygenation and the subsequent purification of the hydrocarbon fraction produced thereby.