Patent ID: 7691159
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: C10G,C10L,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process of converting unsaturated triglycerides to biofuels comprising the steps of: a. preconditioning the unsaturated triglycerides to form a modified triglyceride mixture, the triglycerides therein having their carbon backbone structurally altered by means of (i) isomerization by catalytic conjugation resulting in conjugated triglycerides; (ii) cyclization by combining said conjugated triglycerides with an alkene by means of Diels-Alder reaction, resulting in conjugated triglycerides and cyclized triglycerides; and (iii) cross-linking the fatty acid carbon backbones of said conjugated and cyclized triglycerides; b. contacting said modified triglyceride mixture with a water mixture comprising a catalyst, said water mixture having a temperature sufficient to bring the modified triglyceride and water mixture to a temperature of at least 240° C., causing the modified triglycerides to undergo catalytic hydrothermolysis to produce a crude hydrocarbon oil; and c. post refining said crude hydrocarbon oil to produce various grades of biofuels.