System and method for separating lipid based products from biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718757-B2
Application number	US-201314430997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems for the production and isolation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from a lipid source are described. The method includes extracting a lipid from a lipid source and transesterifying the lipid into a FAME. The method may also include fractionating the FAME from the system. A method of selectively transesterifying a lipid into a FAME is also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) from a lipid source, the method comprising:
(a) extracting at least one lipid from a lipid source; and
(b) transesterifying the at least one lipid into a FAME, wherein steps (a) and (b) occur within a system comprised of a first solvent and a second solvent, and at least one catalyst.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of fractionating the FAME from the system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lipid is a triacylglyceride (TAG).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lipid source comprises biomass.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the biomass comprises algae.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the biomass is dry biomass.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the biomass is wet biomass.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first solvent is a polar solvent.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polar solvent is methanol.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first solvent is present within the system at a volume of about 3.6% v/v.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second solvent is a supercritical fluid.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a heterogenous catalyst.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the heterogenous catalyst is Nafion®.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 95° C.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 80° C.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 9.5 MPa.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 9.65 MPa.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 17.5 MPa.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system has a reaction time of at least 2 hours.

21. A method for selectively producing a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) from a lipid source, the method comprising:
(a) extracting at least one lipid from a lipid source;
(b) selectively transesterifying the at least one lipid into a FAME, and
(c) fractionating the FAME, wherein the lipid source is comprised of a mixture of lipids, further wherein steps (a) and (b) occur within a system, further wherein the system is comprised of a first solvent and a second solvent, and further wherein the system is comprised of a catalyst.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the at least one lipid is a triacylglyceride (TAG).

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the lipid source comprises biomass.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the biomass comprises algae.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the biomass is dry biomass.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the biomass is wet biomass.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first solvent is a polar solvent.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the polar solvent is methanol.

29. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first solvent is present within the system at a volume of about 3.6% v/v.

30. The method of claim 21 , wherein the second solvent is a supercritical fluid.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide.

32. The method of claim 21 , wherein the catalyst is a heterogenous catalyst.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the heterogenous catalyst is Nafion®.

34. The method of claim 21 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 95° C.

35. The method of claim 21 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 80° C.

36. The method of claim 21 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 9.5 MPa.

37. The method of claim 21 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 9.65 MPa.

38. The method of claim 21 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 17.5 MPa.

39. The method of claim 21 , wherein the system has a reaction time of at least 2 hours.

Assignees

• Univ Yale

Inventors

• Zimmerman Julie B
• Soh Lindsay

Classifications

• C10L2200/0476

  Biodiesel, i.e. defined lower alkyl esters of fatty acids first generation biodiesel · CPC title

• B01J2219/00058

  Temperature measurement · CPC title

• C07C67/03

  by reacting an ester group with a hydroxy group · CPC title

• B01J19/24

  Stationary reactors without moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02) · CPC title

• B01J19/0013

  Controlling the temperature of the process · CPC title