Patents by Inventor Mary K. Foster

Mary K. Foster has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Methods for separating a tocotrienol from a tocol-containing mixture and compositions thereof
    Patent number: 6224717
    Abstract: The invention relates to method for separating tocotrienol from a first tocol admixture by heating the first tocol admixture composed of a tocotrienol, at least one tocopherol, a fatty acid, and an esterifying compound to esterify the fatty acid to produce a second tocol admixture composed of the tocotrienol, the tocopherol, the esterified fatty acid, and the unesterified fatty acid; distilling the second tocol admixture with the esterified fatty acid to remove the unesterified fatty acid from the second tocol admixture to produce a third tocol admixture composed of the tocotrienol and the tocopherol, with substantially removed unesterified fatty acid; distilling the third tocol admixture for a sufficient time and temperature to substantially remove the tocotrienol and tocopherol from the third tocol admixture to produce a fourth tocol admixture composed of the removed tocotrienol, tocopherol, and a non-tocol component; and extracting the tocotrienol from the fourth tocol admixture with an extraction solvent
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Charles E. Sumner, Jr., John D. Moncier, Jeffrey S. Kanel, Mary K. Foster
  • Methods for separating a tocol from a tocol-containing mixture
    Patent number: 6159347
    Abstract: The invention relates to method for separating tocol from a tocol-containing admixture by heating the tocol-containing admixture composed a tocol, a fatty acid, and an esterifying compound to esterify the fatty acid to produce a second tocol admixture composed of the tocol, the esterified fatty acid, and the unesterified fatty acid; distilling the tocol-containing admixture with the esterified fatty acid to remove the unesterified fatty acid from the tocol admixture to produce a tocol admixture composed of the tocol with substantially removed unesterified fatty acid; distilling the tocol admixture for a sufficient time and temperature to substantially remove the tocol from the tocol admixture to produce a tocol admixture composed of the removed tocol and a non-tocol component; and extracting the tocol from the tocol admixture with an extraction solvent composed of a polar, organic solvent that is miscible with water to produce a two phase system composed of a first phase containing the majority of the extract
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company
    Inventors: Charles E. Sumner, Jr., John D. Moncier, Jeffrey S. Kanel, Mary K. Foster