Abstract: The invention relates to a process for production of fatty acids directly from soapstock generated in the alkali refining process including the steps of (a) adding a lipase directly to the alkaline soapstock to facilitate hydrolysis of glycerides without prior neutralization, (b) neutralizing and splitting the soaps with strong acids, and (c) separating the fatty acid phase from the aqueous phase by settling and/or centrifugation. A second embodiment is a process in which the soapstock is first neutralized and split with strong acids, followed by adding a lipase to facilitate glyceride hydrolysis, and separating the fatty acid phase. The fatty acids so obtained can be esterified with C1-C6 alcohols using a lipase that is selective for fatty acids and does not transesterify the sterolesters, and the fatty acid esters and sterolesters are separated by distillation. The sterolesters are useful as supplements for food, as pharmaceutical agents for lowering cholesterol and as biofuel and biodiesel.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol and cardol including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate: (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation to obtain a main fraction; and (d) reacting the main fraction with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation to obtain a cardanol-containing fractional distillate; and (d) reacting the fractional distillate with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to plasticizer compositions for polyvinyl chloride resins. A plasticized polyvinyl chloride resin contains (a) 100 parts by weight of at least one polyvinyl chloride resin and (b) 0.1 to 200 parts by weight of a plasticizer compounded with the polyvinyl chloride resin, wherein the plasticizer comprises (i) at least one isobutanol ester of a fatty acid with 8 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein, the fatty acid can be saturated or olefinically unsaturated, linear or branched and contain at least one epoxy group per molecule and (ii) at least one methyl ester of a fatty acid with 16 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein, the fatty acid can be saturated or olefinically unsaturated, linear or branched.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol and cardol including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate: (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with boric acid to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to distillation to obtain a main fraction; and (d) reacting the main fraction with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for production of fatty acids directly from soapstock generated in the alkali refining process including the steps of (a) adding a lipase directly to the alkaline soapstock to facilitate hydrolysis of glycerides without prior neutralisation, (b) neutralizing and splitting the soaps with strong acids, and (c) separating the fatty acid phase from the aqueous phase by settling and/or centrifugation. A second embodiment is a process in which the soapstock is first neutralized and split with strong acids, followed by adding a lipase to facilitate glyceride hydrolysis, and separating the fatty acid phase. The fatty acids so obtained can be esterified with C1-C6 alcohols using a lipase that is selective for fatty acids and does not transesterify the sterolesters, and the fatty acid esters and sterolesters are separated by distillation. The sterolesters are useful as supplements for food, as pharmaceutical agents for lowering cholesterol and as biofuel and biodiesel.

Abstract: A process for the production of a color-stable composition containing cardanol, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; and (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation is provided. A method for the production of color-stable phenalkamines, including (a) subjecting crude, cashew nutshell liquid to distillation to obtain a distillate; (b) reacting the distillate with acetic anhydride to obtain a reaction mixture; (c) subjecting the reaction mixture to fractional distillation to obtain a cardanol-containing fractional distillate; and (d) reacting the fractional distillate with an aliphatic amine and formaldehyde to form a color-stable phenalkamine is also provided.

Abstract: A process for recovering sterols from organic material containing sterols and sterol derivatives. In a first step (a) the organic material is reacted with at least one of polyols, polyamines, alkanolamines or monohydric alcohols to increase the amount of free sterols in the organic material; (b) reacting residual reactants, and their esters or amides with epoxydated components; and (c) separating the free sterols from the mixture by short path distillation, thin film evaporation, or flash evaporation. The recovered sterols can be further purified by a crystallization step.

Abstract: A plasticized composition including (i) at least one biopolymer selected from the group consisting of poly hydrobutyrate (PHB) and PHB copolymers; and (ii) a plasticizer containing (a) a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched C6-30 fatty alcohol, and (b) a glycerol ester of a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C6-24 fatty acid, wherein (a) and (b) are present in a ratio of 100:0 to 75:25 by weight is provided.

Abstract: A process for the production of fatty acid esters from any soapstock generated in the alkali refining process of soybean, sunflower, rice, corn, coconut, palm kernel, rapeseed or cotton oils, which soapstock comprises water, about 0.1-2.0%, fatty derivatives, including glycerides, neutralizing and splitting the soaps with strong acids, followed by enzymatic esterification using a lipase enzyme, with an alkanol, at 15-to-70° C., followed by agitating the resulting mixture for three-to-five days, then separating the crude ester phase from the mixture, neutralizing the residual acid value with a base, and distilling off and recovering the esters, and obtaining a residue containing sterols, wherein the fatty acid esters thus produced may be used as biodiesel fuel.

Abstract: The invention is a plasticizer for nitrocellulose based resins, a method for plasticizing a nitrocellulose based resin and a nitrocellulose based paint containing the plasticizer. The plasticizer contains a mixture of (i) at least one isobutanol ester of a fatty acid with 8 to 24 carbon atoms. The acids can be saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, and contain at least one epoxy group per molecule and (ii) at least one methyl ester of a fatty acid with 16 to 18 carbon atoms which acids can be saturated or olefinically unsaturated, linear or branched.

Abstract: The invention relates to plasticizer compositions for polyvinyl chloride resins. A plasticized polyvinyl chloride resin contains (a) 100 parts by weight of at least one polyvinyl chloride resin and (b) 0.1 to 200 parts by weight of a plasticizer compounded with the polyvinyl chloride resin, wherein the plasticizer comprises (i) at least one isobutanol ester of a fatty acid with 8 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein, the fatty acid can be saturated or olefinically unsaturated, linear or branched and contain at least one epoxy group per molecule and (ii) at least one methyl ester of a fatty acid with 16 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein, the fatty acid can be saturated or olefinically unsaturated, linear or branched.

Abstract: Mixtures of dimeric and trimeric fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters and processes for their preparation comprising either A) epoxidizing an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated fatty acid glyceride; B) transesterifying the epoxidized glyceride with a C1-4 alkanol to obtain epoxidized fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; and C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; or A) transesterifying an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated glyceride with a C1-4 alkanol to obtain olefinically unsaturated fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; B) epoxidizing the unsaturated fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; and C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters.

Abstract: Polyamides and process for their preparation comprising eitherA) epoxidizing an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated fatty acid glyceride;B) transesterifying the epoxidized glyceride with a C.sub.1-4 alkanol to obtain epoxidized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters; andD) reacting the dimerized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters with a polyamine to obtain a polyamide; orA) transesterifying an unsaturated or partially hydrogenated glyceride with a C.sub.14 alkanol to obtain olefinically unsaturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;B) epoxidizing the unsaturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters;C) ring opening and dimerizing the epoxidized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters; andD) reacting the dimerized fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters with a polyamine to obtain a polyamide.