Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the recovery of aliphatic hydrocarbons from a liquid stream comprising aliphatic hydrocarbons, heteroatom containing organic compounds and optionally aromatic hydrocarbons, involving a) liquid-liquid extraction of said liquid stream with an extraction solvent; b) mixing the extract stream, comprising extraction solvent, heteroatom containing organic compounds and optionally aromatic hydrocarbons, with a demixing solvent to remove part of the heteroatom containing organic compounds and optional aromatic hydrocarbons; and c) separation of the remaining stream into a demixing solvent stream and an extraction solvent stream, wherein before and/or after step c) additional heteroatom containing organic compounds and optional aromatic hydrocarbons are removed from that remaining stream and/or from a stream resulting from step c), respectively, by contacting the latter stream (s) with a sorption agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for removing catalyst fine particles from a hydrocarbon product, the process including providing at least one nanofiltration membrane to remove the catalyst fine particles from the hydrocarbon product, the catalyst fine particles comprising a particle size of 0.1 microns or less, contacting the hydrocarbon product at a feed side of the nanofiltration membrane, recovering a catalyst fines-depleted stream at a permeate side of the nanofiltration membrane, recovering a catalyst fines-enriched stream at a retentate side of the nanofiltration membrane, and wherein the catalyst fines-enriched stream comprises the catalyst fine particles removed from the hydrocarbon product, the catalyst fine particles comprising a particle size of 0.1 microns or less.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for recovering a metallic component from a process stream, said process comprising passing said process stream over a ceramic membrane comprising a selective layer with a pore size in the range of from at least 0.5 nm to at most 10 nm; applying a pressure difference across said ceramic membrane such that the pressure outside the ceramic membrane is at least 50 kPa lower than the pressure inside the ceramic membrane; and, thus, providing a permeate stream which has passed through the ceramic membrane and which is depleted in the metallic component and a retentate stream enriched in the metallic component; wherein the process stream is derived from a process for the conversion of saccharide-containing feedstock into glycols.

Abstract: A process for treating a solid cellulosic biomass material for reduction of the content of unwanted inorganic components prior to using the material in the production of a biofuel and/or biochemical, comprising: providing a solid cellulosic biomass material; washing the solid cellulosic biomass material with a stream of water or in a water bath, wherein the water has a temperature in the range from 120° C. to equal to or less than 150° C. at a pressure high enough to maintain water in the liquid phase, to provide washed cellulosic biomass material comprising significantly reduced levels of unwanted inorganic components when compared to the levels in the starting biomass material.

Abstract: A process for converting a solid biomass material comprising: a) providing a solid biomass material; b) contacting a feed comprising the solid biomass material and a petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition, which petroleum derived hydrocarbon composition has a C7-asphaltenes content of equal to or more than 1.0 wt %, based on the total weight of the petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition, co-currently with a source of hydrogen in one or more ebullating bed reactors comprising a catalyst at a temperature in the range from 350° C. to 500° C. to produce a reaction product.

Abstract: A process for converting a biomass material comprising a) pyrolyzing a biomass material to produce a biomass-derived pyrolysis product; b) mixing at least part of the biomass-derived pyrolysis product and a petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition, which petroleum derived hydrocarbon composition has a C7-asphaltenes content of equal to or more than 0.2 wt %, based on the total weight of the petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition, to produce a hydrocarbon-containing mixture; c) dewatering the hydrocarbon-containing mixture to produce a dewatered hydrocarbon-containing mixture; d) contacting the dewatered hydrocarbon-containing mixture with hydrogen in one or more ebullating bed reactors comprising a catalyst at a temperature in the range from 350 to 500° C. to produce a reaction product.

Abstract: A process for converting a biomass material comprising a) pyrolyzing a biomass material to produce a biomass-derived pyrolysis product; b) providing a petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition having a C7-asphaltenes content of equal to or more than 0.2 wt %, based on the total weight of the petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition, which petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition has a total acid number of equal to or more than 0.5 mg KOH/g and/or a density at 15.5° C. of equal to or more than 0.8 grams/ml and/or a viscosity at 37.8° C. of equal to or more than 500 centiStokes (cSt); c) mixing at least part of the biomass-derived pyrolysis product and at least part of the petroleum-derived hydrocarbon composition to produce a hydrocarbon-containing mixture; and d) dewatering the hydrocarbon-containing mixture to produce a dewatered hydrocarbon-containing mixture.

Abstract: A process for separation of a mixture comprising at least a microbial oil and a microbial substance into at least a first phase comprising at least part of the microbial oil and a second phase comprising at least part of the microbial substance, wherein the separation is carried out by a cyclone type separation unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the release of lipids from lipid-containing microalgae feedstock, comprising heating the lipid-containing microalgae feedstock to a temperature of more than 80 to 120° C. and at a pressure of from 1 to 5 bar (absolute).

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the extraction of lipids from microbial lipid-containing feedstock, comprising the steps of (a) subjecting the microbial lipid-containing feedstock to a treatment to release the lipids thereby producing a mixture; (b) subjecting the mixture obtained in (a) to a filtration in the presence of a first extraction solvent on a filter, wherein organic matter soluble in an extraction solvent and an aqueous mixture are removed as filtrate from a retentate comprising non-soluble matter; (c) separating the filtrate obtained from the filter into an organic and aqueous phase; and (d) subjecting the organic phase to a distillation treatment to separate solvent and an organic residue comprising extracted lipids.

Abstract: A process for separating furfural from a liquid aqueous phase comprising furfural and one or more organic acids, which process comprises a step a) extracting furfural from the liquid aqueous phase into a liquid aromatic phase comprising one or more aromatic hydrocarbon compounds to obtain a liquid organic phase comprising furfural and one or more aromatic hydrocarbon compounds.

Abstract: A process for separation of a mixture containing a microbial substance and a liquid using deformable filter is provided.

Abstract: A process for permeation enhanced reactive extraction of levulinic acid from a liquid aqueous phase comprising levulinic acid, wherein the levulinic acid from the aqueous phase is brought into contact with a liquid alcohol phase at esterification conditions in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature in the range of from 50 to 250° C., the aqueous phase and the alcohol phase being separated from each other by a membrane, and an aqueous stream depleted in levulinic acid and an alcohol stream comprising ester of levulinic acid are formed.