Production of biodiesel, cellulosic sugars, and peptides from the simultaneous esterification and alcoholysis/hydrolysis of materials with oil-containing substituents including phospholipids and cellulosic and peptidic content

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing fatty acid alkyl esters as well as cellulosic simplified sugars, shortened protein polymers, amino acids, or combination thereof resulting from the simultaneous esterification and hydrolysis, alcoholysis, or both of algae and other oil containing materials containing free fatty acids (FFA), glycerides, or combination thereof as well as polysaccharides, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignocellulose, protein polymers, or combination thereof in presences of an alcohol and an acid catalyst.

1 . A method for making fatty acid alkyl esters, the method comprising:
 (a) combining a feedstock with an alcohol and an acid catalyst, wherein the feedstock comprises (i) free fatty acids (FFAs), glycerides, or both and (ii) cellulosic material, proteins, or both; and   (b) reacting the feedstock and the alcohol, at a temperature in the range of 140.degree. C. to 300.degree. C., and at a pressure that is sufficient to prevent boiling of the alcohol during the reaction to (i) generate fatty acid alkyl esters, (ii) cleave the cellulosic material, if present, and (iii) shorten the proteins, if proteins are present.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock contains at least 10 wt % cellulosic material based on the dry weight of the feedstock. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feedstock contains at least 10 wt % proteins based on the dry weight of the feedstock. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water content of the combination before reaction is at least 3 wt % of the dry weight of the feedstock. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a fatty acid alkyl ester to the combination before reacting. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising drying the feedstock prior to combining the feedstock with the alcohol and acid catalyst. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the water content of the feedstock after drying is in the range of about 3 wt % to about 5 wt % of the dry weight of the feedstock. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said feedstock is algae, dried distillers grain (DDG), or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is methanol or ethanol. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is in an amount from 50% to 320% molar excess of the contained oil in the feedstock. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the acid catalyst is sulfuric acid. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the acid catalyst is in an amount from 4 wt % to 8 wt % of the dry weight of the feedstock. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature is in the range of 175.degree. C. to 275.degree. C. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure is at least 20 psig above the vapor pressure of the alcohol at the temperature of the reaction. 
     
     
         15 . A method for making fatty acid alkyl esters, the method comprising:
 (a) combining a feedstock with an alcohol and an acid catalyst, wherein the feedstock comprises free fatty acids, glycerides, at least 10 wt % cellulosic material based on the dry weight of the feedstock, and at least 10 wt % proteins based on the dry weight of the feedstock; and   (b) reacting the feedstock and the alcohol, at a temperature in the range of 140.degree. C. to 260.degree. C., and at a pressure that is sufficient to prevent boiling of the alcohol during the reaction to generate fatty acid alkyl esters, cleave the cellulosic material, shorten the proteins.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the water content of the combination before reaction is at least 3 wt % of the dry weight of the feedstock. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising adding a fatty acid alkyl ester to the combination before reacting. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising separating the resulting fatty acid alkyl esters from the resulting cleaved cellulosic material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising fermenting the cleaved cellulosic material to produce ethanol. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the algal lipids are converted into free fatty acids using an acid catalyzed reaction at less than 140.degree. C. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein the pressure is less than 50 psi. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the acid catalyzed hydrolysis step breaks down algae cell walls and releases the algal lipids. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising adding methanol to the fatty acids to form fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the alcohol is in an amount from 50% to 320% molar excess of the contained oil in the feedstock. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising centrifuging, filtering or settling the suspension to form liquid and solid components. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising decanting the liquid component by a phase separation procedure to form a heavy phase and a light phase. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the heavy phase comprises water, glycerol, acid and methanol. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the light phase comprises FAME and free fatty acids (FFA). 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the heavy phase is preheated by flashing to separate glycerol and acid from water and methanol. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising removing the glycerol and acid in a liquid bottoms stream. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the water and methanol are distilled to separate the methanol from the water. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising recycling the distilled methanol to react with free fatty acids. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the FFA and FAME are reacted with additional acid and methanol to complete the production of FAME from FFA.