US1104906A - Treatment of oils. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

BELA LACIE, or VIENNA, AUSIRIA-YI-IUNGARY.

TREATMENT .or' OILS.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 5, 1913. Serial No. 771,873.

Patented July 28, 1914.

To all whom it ma z] concern:

Be it known that I, BELA LAoH, a subject of the Austro-I-Iungarian Emperor, and reimpurities, particularly of a gelatinous and albuminous nature; and it comprises a.

process of treating such fats and oils with formaldehyde and with steam in order to remove from the fats and oils such impurities; it further comprises a process of treating the resulting purified oil in order to remove therefrom any excess of formaldehyde and to effect a further purification of the oil by means of hydrogen, and particularly by treatment with nascent hydrogen generated in the oil mass, all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

According to processes where strong reagents such as concentrated acids or alkali are used for refining oil, the oil is attacked to a greater or less extent, causing losses of the oil, and often causingthe formation of "objectionable by-products. Moreover, the

removal of impurities, especially those of a gelatinous and albuminous nature, presents particular difliculties. According to the process of the present invention, oils are freed from such impurities and also from objectionable compounds which cause color and odor of the oils without the formation of objectionable by-products and losses resulting therefrom.

maldehyde into the oil. The formaldehyde added may be of the form commercially known as formalin (40% solution) or the polymerized form known as paraformaldehyde. The amount added should be sufficlent (usually less than 1% is sufficient) to coagulate and precipitate the elatinous and albuminous matters. Usual y these substances are removed after a treatment lasting for about one-quarter to one-half an hour, by which the albuminous materals are septemperature.

arated in an insoluble form and precipitated.

With oils containing onl a small amount of such gelatmo-us and a buminous matters,

only a small amount of formaldehyde is necessary. With oils containing larger amounts of such substances correspondingly more formaldehyde is necessary. With some oils the formaldehyde in addition'to removlng such materials appears to combine with the oil itself, partly at least, apparently in the form of unstable compounds.

In order to remove any excess of formaldehyde which may be retained in the oil' after the preceding treatment and to accomplish further purification, the fats and oils when still boiling are treated with about 1 to 2% of a metal powder and with a mineral acid, to generate hydrogen therefrom. As such metal powders may be mentioned, for example, zinc dust andiro-n filings. If zinc dust-is used it penetrates the whole mass of the fat and oil so that upon addition of acid,

such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, hy-

drogen is generated throughout the mass in a nascent state. Instead of generating the hydrogen in this manner, other suitable processes of hydrogenation can be used. By the action of this hydrogen formed intimately in contact with the oil, and in a nascent or reactive state, the excess of formaldehyde is removed. This formaldehyde is reduced to its alcohol which is soluble in water and which is volatilized at the boiling Consequently, the formaldehyde if present in excess after having acted upon the oils as an agent of purification is completely removed except for such small amounts as may have become combined with the oil with suflicient permanence to prevent removal by this process. The hydrogenation, in addition to removing the excess of formaldehyde, further purifies the oil and destroys impurities which impartcolor and bad odor to the oils, the hydrogen combining with the unsaturated compounds. In'this manner sulfur compounds are attacked and removed in a volatile form, sulfureted hydrogen being given off.

By the treatment of the oils-with formal dehyde, combined with and followed by the hydrogenation of the oils, oils of a superior quality, and relatively free fromcolor and odor, are obtained. By this process oils which can not be refined primarily by silicates or fullers earth are converted into products which can be subsequently refined excellent qualities of odorless and colorless ther generation of hydrogen.

oils. The soy bean oil is of such a nature.

Without the treatment of the present invention it is difficult to refine this oil by silicates or fullers earth. After the treatment according to the present. invention it gives a very valuable product upon refinement with fullers earth.

Instead of employing the metal in a poweredform, it can also be used in the form of sheets and filings. If sheets are used they .are hung or suspended in the boiling oil or fat. When zinc dust is used in the present process a sort of zinc sponge is formed after the action has proceeded'for sometime, this sponge forming lumps and preventing fur- When this stage is reached the steam is turned off and the oil allowed to rest, whereupon the impurities gather at the bottom and the oil becomes clarified.

The novel process of the present invention can be combined with, or used as a partial substitute for, other processesof purification. Accordingly oil which has been subjected to the present process can be further treated by other processes, such as further hydrogenation, purification with fullers earth, etc.

The process of the present invention causes very small losses of oil and results in the productlon of superior oils and fats which are substantially free from impurities of a gelatinous and albuminous nature and other objectionable impurities. The oil may also be to a reater or" less extent saturated or hydrogenated, and unsaturated compounds present may at the same time be saturated and partially or completely removed. It is usually advantageous to agitate the oil during this treatment except when it is desired to permit separation of the impurities to take place. This agitation is conveniently effected by the use of steam coils openin below the surface of the oil, or near the bottom of the oil mass.

It is intended for the foregoing description to be illustrative of the invention. The invention is not limited to this specific description. Varying amounts of formaldehyde can be used in this process, although for practical operations the amount used. need be only that which is suflicient to completely free the oil of impurities, this amount being advantageously added radually in-' stead of all at once as already described. Otherprocesses of hydrogenation also-can be used instead of that described: which will give the hydrogen in a nascent condition or in such a reactive condition that it Wlll accomplish the desired purification I I claim: 4 D

1. The process of purifying oils which comprises heating the oils with direct steam and with formaldehyde, and subse uently subjecting the oils to treatment with ydrogen.

cient to remove the gelatinous and albuminous impurities, and subsequently treating the oils with a metal and acid to generate nascent hydrogen therein.

5. In the art of purifying oils, the process which comprises subjecting the oils-to treat- ;ment with direct steam and with formaldehyde.

6. In the art of purifving oils, the process which comprises subjecting the oils to treatment with'direct steam, formaldehyde and a metal and an acid which generate hydrogen. 7. In the art of purifying oils, the process which comprises subjecting the oils to the actionof directsteam and gradually adding formaldehyde during such action until the gelatinous and albuminousimpurities have been precipitated;

8. In the art of purifying-bil s, the'iprocess which comprises treating the oils'with formaldehyde, and removing any excess of formaldehyde by treatment with hydrogen.

9. In the art ofpurifying oils, the process which *comprises'treating the oils with 'for maldehyde, and removing any excess of formaldehyde by treatment with a metaland an acid which generate nascent hydrogen therein. Y

In testimony whereof, I hereto aflix my signature in presenceof the witnesses.

I BELA LACH.

Witnessesz ALFRED Krona,

- Rnnonr Mnsrrau.