Purification of biodiesel with adsorbent materials

• US 20050081436A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Dallas Group of America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Dallas Group of America Incorporated
• Inventors: Cooke, Brian S., Abrams, Christopher, Bertram, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,635,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 44/605
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/00 Separating processes involving the treatment of liquids with solid sorbents using liquid sorbents B01D11/00; ion exchange processes or materials, sorbent materials in general B01J, e.g. sorbents for chromatography B01J20/281; for investigating or analysing materials G01N30/00; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/10 comprising silica or silicate
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28004 Sorbent size or size distribution, e.g. particle size
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28011 Other properties, e.g. density, crush strength
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28057 Surface area, e.g. B.E.T specific surface area
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 67/56 by solid-liquid treatment; by chemisorption
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 69/24 esterified with monohydroxylic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 69/52 Esters of acyclic unsaturated carboxylic acids having the esterified carboxyl group bound to an acyclic carbon atom
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/026 for compression ignition
• CPC Class Codes: C11C 1/08 Refining
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A method of purifying a biodiesel fuel by contacting the biodiesel fuel with at least one adsorbent material, such as magnesium silicate. Such method removes impurities, such as soap, formed during the production of biodiesel fuels.

Claims

1. A method of purifying a biodiesel fuel, comprising:

contacting said biodiesel fuel with at least one adsorbent material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one adsorbent material comprises magnesium silicate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said magnesium silicate has a surface area of at least 300 square meters per gram.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said magnesium silicate has a surface area of at least 400 to about 700 square meters per gram.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said magnesium silicate has a particle size of from about 20 microns to about 175 microns.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said magnesium silicate has a bulk density of from about 15 to about 35 pounds per cubic foot.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said magnesium silicate is an amorphous hydrous precipitated synthetic magnesium silicate, said magnesium silicate having been treated to reduce the pH thereof to less than about 9.0.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said magnesium silicate has a pH in a 5% slurry of from about 8.2 to about 8.9.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said magnesium silicate has a pH in a 5% slurry of from about 8.5 to about 8.8.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein said magnesium silicate has a surface area of no more than 150 square meters per gram.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said magnesium silicate has a surface area of from about 50 square meters per gram to about 150 square meters per gram.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said magnesium silicate has a mole ratio of MgO to SiO₂ of from about 1:

3.0 to about 1;

3.8 and a pH in a 5% water suspension of from about 9.5 to about 10.5.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein said magnesium silicate has a pH of from about 9.0 to about 9.5.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said biodiesel fuel is contacted with said at least one adsorbent material in an amount of from about 0.01 wt. % to about 20.0 wt. %, based on the weight of said biodiesel fuel.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said biodiesel fuel is contacted with said at least one adsorbent material in an amount of form about 0.5 wt. % to about 4.0 wt. %, based on the weight of said biodiesel fuel.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein free fatty acids are removed from said biodiesel fuel.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein chlorophyll is removed from said biodiesel fuel.

18. Biodiesel fuel purified according to the method of claim 1.