Process Intensification and Utilization of Low Value Feedstocks for Production of Industrial Fatty Acid Derivatives

The primary goal of the feasibility study proposed here is to document the effectiveness of producing free fatty acids and fatty acid esters using a system where 1) a motionless mixer is the reactor; 2) free fatty acids are the catalyst; and 3) reaction times to achieve 95+ percent yields are on the order of minutes, instead of hours. In short, this work will demonstrate the most highly intensified (high yield per volume per time) fatty acid reaction system ever developed. The importance of this study is two-fold: 1) the high intensity reaction system will allow significant reductions in capital investment for producing fatty acid derivatives, and 2) the no-catalyst strategy based on use of free fatty acids will allow use of formerly waste feedstocks, a net reduction in raw material costs, and a net increase in overall fatty acid resource utilization. This means more fatty acid derivatives available at lower cost, whether for industrial chemical products or for fuels. It also means that smaller processing facilities can be economically sited in conjunction with rendering plants, oil seed processing facilities, and waste oil recovery operations. Access to this category of intensified processing is an essential element in including fats and oils in the overall scheme of a biorefinery operation.