초록 ▼

Steps in the processing of oils derived from plants or vegetables include the degumming, deodorizing and bleaching of the oil before it can be used for further applications. By eliminating one or more of these steps from the processing of the oil, followed by hydrogenating the oil to a specified deg

Steps in the processing of oils derived from plants or vegetables include the degumming, deodorizing and bleaching of the oil before it can be used for further applications. By eliminating one or more of these steps from the processing of the oil, followed by hydrogenating the oil to a specified degree of hydrogenation, the resulting upgraded oils can be incorporated into products having commercial applications. The process uses a high shear mixing device and a hydrogenation catalyst. The process can utilize a single or multiple high shear devices, and utilize renewable oils instead of increasingly scarce petroleum based products. The resulting hydrogenated products may then be utilized in a variety of other commercial applications, such as to render cellulosic products water resistant, provide a coating for numerous cellulosic products, adhesive compositions, ink compositions, firelog compositions, drilling muds or asphalt modifiers.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A process to hydrogenate an oil feedstock, the process comprising the steps of: introducing a mixture of the oil feedstock and hydrogen into at least one high shear device, wherein the at least one high shear device comprises at least two generators, wherein each of the at least two generators co

1. A process to hydrogenate an oil feedstock, the process comprising the steps of: introducing a mixture of the oil feedstock and hydrogen into at least one high shear device, wherein the at least one high shear device comprises at least two generators, wherein each of the at least two generators comprises a cylindrical, toothed rotor, and a complementarily-shaped stator; andsubjecting the mixture to a shear rate of at least 20,000 s−1, wherein the shear rate is defined as the tip speed divided by the shear gap, and wherein the tip speed is defined as πDn, where D is the diameter of the rotor and n is the frequency of revolution, thus forming a dispersion in the high shear device whereby the hydrogen reacts with the oil feedstock to saturate at least a portion of the oil feedstock, whereby the dispersion comprises hydrogen gas bubbles having an average bubble size of less than about 5 μm. 2. The process as described in claim 1, further comprising the step of removing the hydrogenated oil when the oil feedstock has been hydrogenated to a specific iodine value. 3. The process as described in claim 2, further comprising the step of terminating the process when the feedstock has been hydrogenated to the specific iodine value. 4. The process as described in claim 2, wherein the oil feedstock is selected from the group consisting of animal oil, plant oil and vegetable oil. 5. The process as described in claim 4, wherein the plant oil and vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of soybean, rape seed, sunflower, safflower, palm, palm kernel, coconut, cottonseed, wheat germ, olive, corn, hemp, crambe, peanut, canola, jatropha plant, castor bean, coriander, hazelnut, hempseed, mango kernel, meadowfoam, palm olein, palm stearin, palm kernel olein, palm kernel stearin, peanut, rice bran, sasanqua, sunflower seed, tsubaki and combinations thereof. 6. The process as described in claim 5, wherein the oil feedstock has not been decolorized. 7. The process as described in claim 5, wherein the oil feedstock oil has not been bleached. 8. The process as described in claim 5, wherein the oil feedstock oil has not been deodorized. 9. The process as described in claim 5, wherein the oil feedstock has not been degummed. 10. The process as described in claim 5, wherein the oil feedstock is selected from the group consisting of unripened vegetables, damaged vegetables and vegetables harvested under unfavorable weather conditions. 11. The process as described in claim 5, wherein the oil feedstock is selected from the group consisting of off-color oil and used cooking oil. 12. The process as described in claim 5, further comprising the step of contacting the dispersion with a hydrogenation catalyst. 13. The process as described in claim 5, wherein the high shear device comprises a catalytic surface. 14. The process as described in claim 6, wherein the iodine value ranges from 0 to about 150. 15. The process as described in claim 14, wherein the iodine value ranges from 0 to about 100. 16. The process as described in claim 15, wherein the iodine value ranges from about 10 to about 70. 17. A process to hydrogenate an oil feedstock, the process comprising the steps of: introducing a mixture comprising the oil feedstock and hydrogen into at least one high shear device, wherein the oil feedstock is selected from the group consisting of soybean, rape seed, sunflower, safflower, palm, palm kernel, coconut, cottonseed, wheat germ, olive, corn, hemp, crambe, peanut, canola, jatropha plant, castor bean, coriander, hazelnut, hempseed, mango kernel, meadowfoam, palm olein, palm stearin, palm kernel olein, palm kernel stearin, peanut, rice bran, sasanqua, sunflower seed, tsubaki and combinations thereof; and wherein the oil feedstock oil has not been deodorized; wherein the at least one high shear device comprises at least two generators, wherein each of the at least two generators comprises a cylindrical, toothed rotor, and a complementarily-shaped stator; andsubjecting the mixture to a shear rate of at least 20,000 s−1, wherein the shear rate is defined as the tip speed divided by the shear gap, and wherein the tip speed is defined as πDn, where D is the diameter of the rotor and n is the frequency of revolution, thus forming a dispersion in the at least one high shear device whereby the hydrogen reacts with the oil feedstock to saturate at least a portion of the oil feedstock, whereby the dispersion comprises hydrogen bubbles gas having an average bubble size of less than about 5 μm.