Patent ID: 6015440
Filing Date: 2000-01-18
Classification: C10L,C11C,Y02E

Abstract:
A process of producing an oxygenated biodiesel fuel with a cloud-point below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, said oxygenated biodiesel fuel consisting of a mixture of transesterified triglycerides and a cloud-point reducing amount of etherified glycerol, said process comprising the steps of:a. providing a quantity of triglycerides;b. transesterifying at least a portion of said triglycerides by mixing with a base and methyl alcohol to produce a mixture of transesterified triglycerides and crude glycerol;c. separating out, in an essentially pure state, most of said transesterified triglycerides from said mixture of transesterified triglycerides and crude glycerol, thereby also providing separated-out substantially crude glycerol;a. etherifying the crude glycerol provided in step c., by mixing isobutylene therewith in sufficient quantity to maintain an isobutlyene:glycerol mole ratio which favors production of higher glycerol di and tri-ethers as opposed to mono-ethers; ande. remixing at least a portion of the resulting glycerol ethers produced in step d., with at least a portion of the step c. separated-out, essentially pure state transesterified triglycerides;said steps a.-e. serving to produce said oxygenated biodiesel fuel with a cloud-point below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, without other cloud-point reducing additive(s) and/or glycerol ethers from a source other than that identified in step d., being added thereinto.