Blown and stripped plant-based oils

• US 8,895,766 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cargill Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cargill Incorporated
• Inventors: Hora, Michael John, Murphy, Patrick Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Carr, Deborah D
• Application Number:
  US14/074,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 554/183
• US Class Current: 554/183
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 101/04 Fatty oil fractions
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 177/00 Special methods of preparation of lubricating compositions; Chemical modification by after-treatment of components or of the whole of a lubricating composition, not covered by other classes
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/006 by extraction
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/14 with the use of indifferent gases or vapours, e.g. steam
• CPC Class Codes: C11C 3/02 by esterification of fatty acids with glycerol

Abstract

A method for producing a high viscosity, low volatiles blown stripped plant-based oil is provided. The method may include the steps of: (i) obtaining a plant-based oil; (ii) heating the oil to at least 90C; (iii) passing air through the heated oil to produce a blown oil having a viscosity of at least 200 cSt at 40C; (iv) stripping the blown oil from step (iii) to reduce an acid value of the blown oil to from 5 mg KOH/g to about 9 mg KOH/g; (v) adding a polyol to the stripped oil from (iv); and (vi) stripping the oil from step (v) to reduce the acid value of the oil to less than 5.0 mg KOH/g or less.

Claims

1. A method for producing a high viscosity, low volatiles blown stripped plant-based oil, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a plant-based oil;

(b) heating the oil to at least 90°

C.;

(c) passing air through the heated oil to produce a blown oil;

(d) stripping the blown oil from step (c) to reduce an acid value of the blown oil to from 5 mg KOH/g to about 9 mg KOH/g; and

(e) adding a polyol to the stripped oil from (d); and

(f) stripping the oil from step (e) to reduce the acid value of the oil to less than 5.0 mg KOH/g or less.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the oil resulting from step (f) exhibits a viscosity at 40°

C. of at least 60 cSt.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil resulting from step (f) exhibits a viscosity at 40°

C. of at least 150 cSt.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the oil resulting from step (f) exhibits:

a viscosity at 40°

C. of at least 500 cSt;

an acid value of 4 mg KOH/gram or less;

a hydroxyl number of less than 50 mg KOH/gram; and

a flash point of at least 293°

C., in particular aspects, a flash point of at least 296°

C.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the oil resulting from step (f) exhibits:

a viscosity at 40°

C. of at least 700 cSt;

an acid value of 3.5 mg KOH/gram or less;

a hydroxyl number of less than about 40 mg KOH/gram; and

a flash point of at least 304°

C.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the oil resulting from step (f) exhibits:

a viscosity at 40°

C. of at least 730 cSt;

an acid value of 3.0 mg KOH/gram or less;

a flash point of at least 315°

C.; and

a hydroxyl number of less than 30 mg KOH/mg.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the oil resulting from step (f) exhibits a flash point of at least 320°

C.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the oil resulting from step (f) exhibits an acid value of 2.8 mg KOH/gram or less.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a catalyst comprising a peroxide or a metal selected from the groups consisting of Transition Elements and Group IV is added to the oil prior to or during step (c).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a catalyst is added to the oil prior to or during step (c), the catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of:

tin, cobalt, iron, zirconium, titanium, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the polyol added comprises glycerin, and sufficient glycerin is added to obtain a molar ratio of added hydroxyl group to fatty acid groups present in the oil resulting from step (d) is from about 1:

5 to less than about 1;

1, in particular aspects, from about 2;

5 to about 8;

10.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant-based oil of step (a) is selected from the group consisting of:

soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, corn stillage oil and mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant-based oil of step (a) comprises corn stillage oil having an initial acid value from about 12 to about 34 mg KOH/gram.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant-based oil of step (a) comprises corn stillage oil having an initial acid value from about 16 to about 32 mg KOH/gram.