Low sulfur tall oil fatty acid

Abstract

The invention relates to tall oil fatty acid compositions having low sulfur content, as well as methods of using and making the same.

1 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method of making a low sulfur composition, comprising contacting and/or stirring a high sulfur composition comprising:
 from 85 to 99.9% by weight of at least one saturated or unsaturated, monocarboxylic aliphatic hydrocarbon having a linear, branched, and/or cyclic chain of from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, a dimer thereof, a trimer thereof, or mixtures thereof;   from 0.1 to 15% by weight of at least one cyclic fatty acid compound selected from the group consisting of natural resin-based acids obtained from residues of distillation of natural oils, amine carboxylates and ester and nitrile compounds of these acids; and   greater than 25 ppm of sulfur   
       with an adsorbent having an average pore size of from 10 to 250 angstroms to form a low sulfur composition having less than or equal to 25 ppm of sulfur. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the high sulfur composition comprises greater than or equal to 30 ppm of sulfur. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the high sulfur composition comprises greater than or equal to 40 ppm of sulfur. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the adsorbent comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of activated carbon containing compound, silica, alumina, clay, acid-activated clay, and diatomaceous earth. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the adsorbent has an average pore size of from 40 to 100 angstroms. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the adsorbent has an average pore size of from 50 to 75 angstroms. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the adsorbent is at least one adsorbent selected from the group consisting of silica and clay. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the adsorbent is at least one acid-activated clay. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising distilling the high sulfur composition prior to the contacting step. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the high sulfur composition comprises greater than or equal to 40 ppm of sulfur prior to said distilling step. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the high sulfur composition comprises greater than or equal to 60 ppm of sulfur prior to said distilling step. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the distilling is performed by a short-path distillation column. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the short-path distillation column is a wiped film evaporator. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the distilling is performed by a continuous column, a continuous fractionation distillation column, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A low sulfur composition prepared according to the method of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         32 . The low sulfur composition of  claim 31 , comprising less than or equal to 20 ppm of sulfur. 
     
     
         33 . The low sulfur composition of  claim 31 , comprising less than or equal to 15 ppm of sulfur.