Middle distillate fuel from organic material of biological origin

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a middle distillate fuel composition obtainable from crude tall oil (CTO) optionally including tall oil pitch (TOP) or tall oil pitch (TOP), the composition including n- and i-paraffins in an amount of 55 wt. % to 70 wt. %, of which i-paraffins content is equal to or more than 80%, cycloalkanes in an amount of 30 wt. % to 40 wt. %, and C7-C20 aromatics in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. %, wherein cetane number of the fuel composition is at least 60 and density of the fuel composition is at least 800 kg/m3.

1 .- 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A middle distillate fuel composition obtainable from crude tall oil (CTO) optionally including tall oil pitch (TOP) or tall oil pitch (TOP), the composition comprising:
 n- and i-paraffins in an amount of 55 wt. % to 70 wt. %, of which i-paraffins content is equal to or more than 80% of a total paraffin amount;   cycloalkanes in an amount of 30 wt. % to 40 wt. %; and   C7-C20 aromatics in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. %;   wherein a cetane number of the middle distillate fuel composition is at least 60 and a density of the middle distillate fuel composition is at least 800 kg/m3.   
     
     
         11 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 10 , wherein the cetane number is at least 62, and/or at least 65. 
     
     
         12 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 10 , wherein the density of the middle distillate fuel composition is from 800 kg/m3 to 845 kg/m3, and/or from 810 kg/m3 to 830 kg/m3. 
     
     
         13 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 10 , wherein 40 wt. % to 65 wt. % of n- and i-paraffins have a carbon chain length of C14-C19, and 0.1 wt. % to 15 wt. % of n- and i-paraffins have a carbon chain length equal to or longer than C20. 
     
     
         14 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 10 , wherein the middle distillate fuel composition comprises:
 n- and i-paraffins in an amount of 60 wt. % to 64 wt. %, of which i-paraffins content is equal to or more than 90% of the total paraffin amount;   cycloalkanes in an amount of 34 wt. % to 36 wt. %; and   C7-C20 aromatics in an amount of 2 wt. % to 3.5 wt. %.   
     
     
         15 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 10 , wherein the middle distillate fuel composition contains material obtained from tall oil pitch (TOP). 
     
     
         16 . A process for producing a middle distillate fuel composition, the process comprising:
 providing a feedstock including crude tall oil (CTO), optionally including tall oil pitch (TOP) or tall oil pitch (TOP);   pre-treating the feedstock to obtain a purified feedstock;   subjecting the purified feedstock to pre-hydrotreatment to obtain a partly hydrotreated feed;   distilling the partly hydrotreated feed to obtain at least a heavy bottom fraction which is removed from the process, and a middle distillate fraction which is subjected to further process steps; and   subjecting the middle distillate fraction to at least a hydrotreatment step and an isomerisation step and optionally a fractionation or stripping step, to obtain a middle distillate fuel composition which contains:   n- and i-paraffins in an amount of 55 wt. % to 70 wt. %, of which i-paraffins content is equal to or more than 80% of a total paraffin amount;   cycloalkanes in an amount of 30 wt. % to 40 wt. %; and   C7-C20 aromatics in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. %;   wherein a cetane number of the middle distillate fuel composition is at least 60 and a density of the middle distillate fuel composition is at least 800 kg/m3.   
     
     
         17 . A method for producing a middle distillate fuel composition, the method comprising:
 a) providing a feedstock including crude tall oil (CTO) optionally including tall oil pitch (TOP) or tall oil pitch (TOP);   b) pre-treating the feedstock in one or more pre-treatment stages to obtain a purified feedstock;   c) subjecting said purified feedstock to pre-hydrotreatment to obtain a stream of partly hydrotreated feed;   d) distilling the stream of partly hydrotreated feed to obtain at least two fractions, a first heavy bottom fraction which is removed from the process, and a second middle fraction which is collected for further treatment;   e) subjecting the collected middle fraction to hydrotreatment to obtain a stream of hydrocarbons; and   f) subjecting the stream of hydrocarbons to isomerisation to obtain a middle distillate fuel composition, which contains:   n- and i-paraffins in an amount of 55 wt. % to 70 wt. %, of which i-paraffins content is equal to or more than 80% of a total paraffin amount;   cycloalkanes in an amount of 30 wt. % to 40 wt. %; and   C7-C20 aromatics in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. %;   wherein a cetane number of the middle distillate fuel composition is at least 60 and a density of the middle distillate fuel composition is at least 800 kg/m3.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 a fractionation or stripping step after the isomerisation, to obtain the middle distillate fuel composition.   
     
     
         19 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 11 , wherein the density of the middle distillate fuel composition is from 800 kg/m3 to 845 kg/m3, and/or from 810 kg/m3 to 830 kg/m3. 
     
     
         20 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 19 , wherein 40 wt. % to 65 wt. % of n- and i-paraffins have a carbon chain length of C14-C19, and 0.1 wt. % to 15 wt. % of n- and i-paraffins have a carbon chain length equal to or longer than C20. 
     
     
         21 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 20 , wherein the middle distillate fuel composition comprises:
 n- and i-paraffins in an amount of 60 wt. % to 64 wt. %, of which i-paraffins content is equal to or more than 90% of the total paraffin amount;   cycloalkanes in an amount of 34 wt. % to 36 wt. %; and   C7-C20 aromatics in an amount of 2 wt. % to 3.5 wt. %.   
     
     
         22 . The middle distillate fuel composition of  claim 21 , wherein the middle distillate fuel composition contains material obtained from tall oil pitch (TOP).