Methods and apparatus for producing alkyl esters from lipid feed stocks and systems including same

• Main Authors: MCNEFF LARRY C, YAN BINGWEN, GYBERG ARLIN E, KROHN BRIAN, MCNEFF CLAYTON V, NOWLAN DANIEL THOMAS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.03.2011
• Subjects: ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES AND WAXES; CANDLES; CHEMISTRY; DETERGENTS; FATS, OILS OR FATTY ACIDS BY CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF FATS,OILS, OR FATTY ACIDS OBTAINED THEREFROM; FATTY ACIDS FROM FATS, OILS OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; METALLURGY

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for producing alkyl esters from lipid feed stocks, such as plant oils and/or animal fats, and systems including the same. In an embodiment, the invention includes a process for producing alkyl esters including mixing a lipid feed stock with an alcohol to form a reaction mixture; and contacting the reaction mixture with a catalyst under supercritical conditions for the alcohol, the catalyst comprising an unmodified metal oxide selected from the group consisting of alumina, titania, zirconia, and hafnia, and removing residual free fatty acids from the reaction mixture. Other embodiments are included herein.