Production of Fuels with Superior Low Temperature Properties from Tall Oil or Fractionated Fatty Acids

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the production of fuels with superior low temperature properties. Specifically, the present invention relates to the production of fuels that meet ASTM and military jet fuel kerosene specifications by heterogeneous, reactive distillation esterification of oils. The oils may be naturally high in unsaturation, such as whole plant oils, tall oil fatty acids, and rosin acids, or the oils may be from the unsaturated fraction isolated from less unsaturated seed oils such as palm olein, caprylic and caproic acids, or from mixtures thereof.

1 . A process for the production of fuel comprising:
 i) obtaining a feedstock for the process;   ii) performing a pre-esterification step; and   iii) performing an esterification step to yield a fuel product,   wherein the fuel product meets at least one ASTM or military jet fuel kerosene specification.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel product meets ASTM or military jet fuel kerosene specification for freezing point. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is tall oil fatty acids, and the pre-esterification step is the removal of any tall oil rosin acids in excess of 4.5% from the feedstock. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is whole vegetable oil, and the pre-esterification step is the removal of a C16 fraction. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the esterification step includes esterification with an alcohol selected from multi-functional polyols, glycols, iso-butanol, and tert-butanol. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock is palm, palm kernel, or coconut oil, and the pre-esterification step includes hydrolysis of the feedstock and fractional distillation to obtain a caprylic and/or caproic acid-enriched concentrate. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the esterification step is heterogeneous reactive distillation esterification. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the esterification occurs via a gas sparged, slurry form of heterogeneous reactive distillation in a reaction chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of blending the product of esterification with less than about 20% of regular specification jet fuel such that the blended fuel product meets at least two ASTM or military jet fuel kerosene specifications. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the process is performed on an industrial scale.