Biorefinery platforms – Oils

By -


Concept

- The oils platform covers triglycerides that can be obtained from terrestrial oil plants (palm, coconut, rape seed, sunflower, soybean), aquatic biomass (microalgae), animal fats, industrial by-products (tall oil) and used oils (industrial and household).
- Oils and fats are esters composed of molecules known as triglycerides, which are esters composed of three fatty acid units linked to glycerol.
- Fatty acids gives the functionality to oil and fats. Chemically, they can be divided into four main types: saturated, cis-monounsaturated, cis-polyunsaturated and trans fatty acids. In broad terms, saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids are solid at room temperature while the cis-unsaturated are liquid at room temperature.


Applications

- Biofuels. The primary feedstocks currently used to make biofuels are crude palm oil, rapeseed oil and soybean oil. But the utilization of industrial by-products and used oils is gaining ground. The majority of this biofuel market was traditional biodiesel (FAME, triacylglycerol molecule is converted to alkyl esters and glycerol by transesterification), but the share of HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) is increasing very rapidly, with a special focus on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
- Chemicals. The triacylglycerol molecule can be cleaved to glycerol and fatty acids. The usage of the fatty acids is determined primarily by their chain length and functionality. The majority of fatty acid derivatives are used as surface active agents in soaps, detergents and personal care products. Important products of unsaturated oils include alkyd resins, linoleum and epoxidized oils. In applications such as lubricants and hydraulic fluids, plant oil can act as direct replacement for mineral oil or require only minor chemical modification. Glycerol finds application in several sectors (food industry, pharmaceutical, personal care…).
- Biobased naphtha. It is one of the co-products that can be obtained via hydrogenation. It can be considered as a specific platform (Biorefinery platforms – Biobased naphtha).
- Biobased plastics. Sebacic acid and 11-aminoundecanoic acid (from castor oil) and azelaic acid (from oleic acid) are building blocks for biobased plastics. Dimerized fatty acids are primarily used for polyamide resins and polyamide hot melt adhesives.

References

- IEA Bioenergy Task 42 (2020). “Biobased chemicals. A 2020 update”.

Popular Posts

Braskem and Sojitz launch Sustainea to produce and market biobased glycols

By -
Image
Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. Braskem and Sojitz have announced the launch of Sustainea, which will produce and market bioMEG (monoethylene glycol) and bioMPG (monopropylene glycol). The market launch of the brand follows the approval of the joint venture (the process began in March 2022) by antitrust authorities. Press release: " Braskem and Sojitz Corporation launch Sustainea ", 21/10/2022. Related posts:  - " Braskem and Haldor Topsoe to validate new bio-MEG production process in a demo plant ", 13/11/2017. - " Braskem and Haldor Topsoe start production of biobased MEG at their demo plant in Lyngby ", 25/11/2020. Figure 1. Braskem and Sojitz launch Sustainea to produce and market biobased glycols The business plan envisages the construction of three industrial plants, with the first unit slated for operational startup in 2025, taking advantage of market opportunities and feedstock availability. The locations where the industrial units will be built have
Read more

New HVO plant enters into operation in China

By -
Image
Versión en Español Type of post: NEWS. According to S&P Global Platts, last month, State-owned energy company Beijing Sanju Environmental Protection & New Materials launched a 400 ktons/year capacity HVO plant in Rizhao (Shandong, China) province. The biorefinery utilizes used cooking oil (UCO) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) as feedstocks. News (S&P Global Platts): “ China reinforces position in HVO market with launch of new 400,000 mt/year plant ”, 24/03/2021. Hydrotreating (HVO) – Concepts, feedstocks and specifications . HVO posts. Figure 1. Beijing Sanju, current and planned HVO plants (source: S&P Global Platts Analytics) The new HVO plant (Shandong Sanju Bioenergy) was the result of a cooperation agreement (07/04/2020) between Beijing Sanju (primary owner, investor and tech provider), Hainan Qilu Development (investor and subsidiary of Qilu Transportation Development Group) and the Juxian County Government (minority owner, fixed assets). Shandong Sanju Bio
Read more

Glucaric acid biorefineries

By -
Image
Publication date: 14/12/2015 Last update: 24/05/2017 Description 1,2,3,4 D-Glucaric acid, also called saccharic acid, is a chemical compound with formula C 6 H 10 O 8 and member of a large family of molecules known as oxidized sugars. It is a naturally occurring aldaric acid, typically found in small amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables. It is a highly functionalized compound with four chiral carbons and a plethora of reaction pathways. Its commercial potential was unveiled in the report “Top Value Added Chemicals from Biomass” from the Department of Energy of USA which described its use as a building block for a number of polymers, including new nylons and hyperbranched polyesters. Process technologies 1,3,4,5,6,7,8 The synthetic preparation of D-glucaric acid dates back to a report of Sohst and Tollens (1888) who carried out the nitric acid oxidation of D-glucose to D-glucaric acid. Current methods for its production are based on this process and in
Read more

Biobased polyolefins - Biobased Polyethylene (bio-PE)

By -
Image
Versión en Español Section: BIOBASED PLASTICS Series: Biobased Vinyl Polymers. - Biobased Polyethylene (bio-PE). Biobased Polyethylene (bio-PE) / Green Polyethylene / Renewable Polyethylene - Its biobased carbon content can reach 100%. - Renewable resource . It is produced from renewable biomass feedstocks as sugars or vegetable oils. - It reduces GHG emissions. Each ton produced captures and sequesters CO 2 from the atmosphere. - 100% drop-in . Chemically identical to its petrochemical counterpart. It has the same processing characteristics as fossil PE, therefore, it can be processed in the same equipment. - Non-biodegradable . It cannot be composted or biodegraded. - Thermoplastic . It can be molten and remoulded into the desired shape. - It can be recycled and processed into new bio-PE products using conventional technologies without requiring additional investments. - Building block or monomer: biobased ethylene .
Read more

Alcohol-To-Fuel

By -
Image
Type of post: OVERVIEW. Introduction Bioethanol produced from fermentation of sugar based crops is the major product of the biofuels industry [1]. But, ethanol is not a “drop-in” solution and requires substantial changes in refining or distribution infrastructure. The properties of this alcohol (an oxygenated single molecule) are largely different than those of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel blendstocks (mixtures of hydrocarbons), leading to problems in blends. Ethanol can cause corrosion problems in transport pipelines that were designed to work only with gasoline. In the specific case of the aviation fuel, there are stricter quality requirements than fuels used in road transport. Ethanol shows low compatibility as a blendstock for aviation fuel because of its high volatility and water absorption and low flash point and energy density. Butanol is not as incompatible as ethanol, however, it still poses unacceptable safety risks due to its low flash point and high volatilit
Read more