WO2010109600A1

WO2010109600A1 - Fuel and fuel manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: WO2010109600A1
Application number: PCT/JP2009/055912
Authority: WO
Inventors: 健彦松村; 倫孝廣瀬; 貴子泉
Original assignee: ナノマイザー・プライベート・リミテッド
Priority date: 2009-03-25
Filing date: 2009-03-25
Publication date: 2010-09-30
Also published as: CN102449126A; US20120090222A1; JPWO2010109600A1

Abstract

The issue is to obtain fuel having high combustion heat and superior handleability from crude glycerin and fatty acid mixtures that have been discarded as industrial waste products. Disclosed is a fuel comprising water-insoluble fatty acids obtained by water-insolubilizing fatty acids that are contained in crude glycerin and fatty acid mixtures that are produced as by-products in the process of producing biofuels from animal and plant-derived fats and oils. It is preferable that the water-insoluble fatty acids be water-insoluble fatty acid salts, particularly salts of fatty acids with divalent or trivalent metal ions.

Description

Fuel and fuel production method

The present invention relates to a fuel using crude glycerin or a fatty acid admixture produced as a by-product in the process of producing biofuel from fats and oils derived from animals and plants, and a method for producing the same.

In view of the recent depletion of petrochemical fuels and the problem of environmental burden due to CO ₂ emissions, biodiesel fuel (BDF) using biomass as a raw material has attracted much attention.

BDF is produced by transesterification of animal and vegetable oils extracted from plants such as soybean, palm and corn, and animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and fish, with alcohol as a by-product of fatty acids and glycerin. A large amount of crude glycerin as a main component is generated, and most of it is discarded without being effectively used.

On the other hand, this crude glycerin has a calorific value of about 5,400 kcal / kg, and the fatty acid in the crude glycerin has a calorific value of about 8,500 kcal / kg.

The inventors of the present application focused on this point and examined the possibility of using crude glycerin produced as a by-product in the production of BDF using various animal and vegetable oils as a fuel. The following findings were obtained as a result. Therefore, it was concluded that it was difficult to use crude glycerin as a fuel as it was.
(1) The pH value of crude glycerin is high due to the influence of an alkali catalyst used in the production of BDF, and deteriorates combustion equipment such as boilers.
(2) The crude glycerin generally contains sodium or potassium. These ionic species may cause deterioration of the combustion equipment. In particular, when sodium coexists with sulfur, sodium sulfate is generated, which further promotes the destruction of the oxide film (vanadium attack) on the metal surface of the combustion equipment by vanadium pentoxide.
(3) Although crude glycerin does not generate harmful substances such as dioxin by combustion, it is known that a large amount of dust is generated, and it is difficult to use it as a fuel unless the amount of dust generated can be reduced.
(4) Crude glycerin is a highly viscous liquid that is difficult to replace with either liquid or solid fuel and is difficult to handle.

JP 2008-023426 A

The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and is a fuel excellent in handleability and a fuel excellent in combustion characteristics from crude glycerin or a fatty acid mixture by-produced in the process of producing biofuel from fats and oils derived from animals and plants. An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel that has little adverse effect on combustion equipment during combustion and / or a fuel that can generate a high amount of heat by combustion.

This invention solves the said subject, The fatty acid obtained by water-solubilizing the fatty acid contained in the crude glycerin or fatty acid mixture byproduced in the process of producing | generating a biofuel from fats and oils derived from animals and plants A fuel comprising a water-insoluble material (Claim 1).

The present invention is characterized in that the fatty acid in the crude glycerin or fatty acid mixture is water-insolubilized, whereby glycerin, sodium ions, potassium ions are obtained from the water-insoluble material by washing and filtration or centrifugation. It is possible to separate water-soluble components such as.

Therefore, it is possible to improve flammability and increase the amount of combustion heat per unit weight by removing or reducing the amount of glycerin, and by removing the glycerin more completely, the fatty acid water-insolubilized product can be solid or powdered. In addition, it can be used as a solid fuel having excellent handleability.

Also, since harmful components such as sodium ions and potassium ions are removed or reduced, it is possible to eliminate the problem of deterioration of combustion equipment such as boilers.

It has also been confirmed that the amount of dust generated during combustion can be reduced by removing or reducing the water-soluble components.

The “fats and fats derived from animals and plants” of the present invention are arbitrary fats and oils derived from animals and plants that can be used as raw materials for producing biofuels. The oils and fats derived from animals and plants of the present invention include soybean oil, palm oil, and palm oil. Oil, palm kernel oil, corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, castor oil, sesame oil and other vegetable oils, lard oil, butter oil, sardine oil, mackerel oil, beef tallow, horse fat, lard , Animal oil such as sheep oil and whale oil, and edible oil discarded from restaurants, food factories, general households, and the like, and mixtures thereof.

The “fatty acid blend” of the present invention refers to a blend composed mainly of fatty acid and glycerin, which are by-produced in the process of producing biofuel from fats and oils derived from animals and plants.

The fatty acid water-insolubilized product in the present invention is preferably produced by combining a fatty acid with a cation (Claim 2), and particularly produced by combining a fatty acid with a divalent or trivalent metal ion ( Claim 3) is preferred.

That is, since salts of fatty acids and divalent or trivalent metal ions have low solubility in water, it is possible to obtain the advantage of facilitating separation of water-soluble components by washing with water, filtration, etc. Since the salt is not strongly alkaline, it is possible to reduce the adverse effects on the combustion engine when burned.

The fuel of the present invention is obtained by refining and / or highly dispersing the fatty acid water-insoluble material in the suspension in which the fatty acid water-insoluble material is dispersed using a high-pressure dispersing device, and It is preferable that the fatty acid water-insolubilized product purified by separating all or part of the sexual component is contained (claim 4), and the method for producing a fuel of the present invention is made from animal and plant-derived fats and oils. A first step of producing a fatty acid water-insoluble product by dewatering the fatty acid contained in crude glycerin or fatty acid mixture produced as a by-product in the process of producing fuel, and a suspension in which the fatty acid water-insoluble product is dispersed A second step of producing a liquid, a third step of refining and / or highly dispersing the fatty acid water-insoluble material in the suspension using a high-pressure dispersing device, and the suspension obtained through the third step. In liquid Having a fourth step of separating all or a portion of water and a water-soluble component from the fatty acid-insoluble product (claim 8) is preferable.

In this invention, in order to refine and / or highly disperse the fatty acid water-insoluble material in the suspension using a high-pressure dispersion device, water-soluble components such as glycerin, sodium ions, and potassium ions contained in the suspension It becomes possible to take in more parts of the water. Therefore, by performing water washing using a high-pressure dispersing device, water-soluble components can be more efficiently removed compared to water washing using an ordinary stirrer such as a mixer or a stirrer.

The “high pressure dispersion device” in the present invention includes a homogenizer and a nanomizer defined as follows.

"Homogenizer" makes particles finer and / or highly dispersed by colliding the liquid in which the particles are dispersed with each other and / or the wall surface at high pressure and high speed (pressure 30 MPa or more and / or flow velocity 50 m / sec or more). Refers to the device to turn into.

"Nanomizer" makes particles finer and / or highly dispersed by cavitation and shear force when the liquid in which the particles are dispersed is passed through the capillary at high pressure and high speed (pressure 30 MPa or more and / or flow velocity 50 m / second or more). Refers to the device to turn into. The tubule used in the nanomizer may be linear, curved, bent or branched.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the fatty acid water-insoluble product particles are coated with a membrane substance (Claim 5).

Depending on the properties of the fatty acid water-insolubilized product obtained by water-solubilizing the fatty acid, it may not be easy to remove glycerin from the fatty acid water-insolubilized material. It may not be cost effective to remove glycerin until solid or powdered.

In such a case, the present invention microcapsules the fatty acid water-insolubilized particles containing glycerin to some extent by covering them with a membrane substance, and the fatty acid water-insoluble materials are mainly used without significant increase in cost. It is possible to obtain a solid or powdered fuel excellent in handleability as a component.

The non-water-soluble particles covered with the membrane material of the present invention can be further formed into pellets or blocks of any shape and size using a pelletizer, etc. Fuel can be obtained.

In addition, it is preferable to use an ether derivative of cellulose or an organic acid ester derivative of cellulose as the film substance. In this case, a source of a component in which the ether derivative of cellulose or the organic acid ester derivative of cellulose acts as a binder. Therefore, it can be consolidated into an arbitrary size and shape using a pelletizer or the like without adding a binder component separately.

Note that the membrane substance in the present invention is not necessarily required to completely cover all the fatty acid water-insolubilized particles. It may be exposed.

Explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of a nanomizer device Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the generator used in the Example Appearance photo of the sample created in the example Explanatory drawing of the apparatus used for evaluation of combustibility. Photo of filter paper with dust attached in the evaluation of flammability

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 (A) is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the nanomizer device 1 used in the examples described below.

The nanomizer device 1 includes a metal housing 2, a retainer 4 that holds the generator 3, which is the main body of the nanomizer device 1, by pressing force from the left and right by screwing or the like, and couplers 5 and 6 for connecting to external piping. And an inflow path 7 and an outflow path 8 that connect the retainer 4 and the couplers 5 and 6.

A container 9 for storing a liquid (suspension) to be processed is connected to the inlet-side coupler 5 of the nanomizer device 1 by a pipe 10 so that the liquid pressurized by the high-pressure pump 11 is sent into the nanomizer device 1. The pipe 12 is connected to the outlet side coupler 6, and the treated liquid is stored in the container 13. In addition, the container 9 can have the mixer 14 for maintaining the suspension state of a suspension as needed.

FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a generator 3 a having a simple structure that can be used in the nanomizer device 1.

In this generator 3a, a linear thin tube 30 having a channel cross-sectional area S and a channel length L is formed near the center thereof. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the thin tube 30 is arbitrary, such as a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon.

In the nanomizer device 1 having such a straight tubule 30, particles in the liquid passing through the tubule 30 are caused by cavitation generated between the liquid and the tube wall or shear force generated by a flow velocity difference depending on the distance from the tube wall. Refined and / or highly dispersed.

The thin tube 30 has an aspect ratio R = L / S, preferably S ≦ 1 mm ² and R ≧ 10 mm ⁻¹ , more preferably S ≦ 0.5 mm ² and R ≧ 50 mm ⁻¹ , and S ≦ It is particularly preferable that 0.1 mm ² and R ≧ 100 mm ⁻¹ . The length L of the thin tube 30 is preferably 2 mm or more, and particularly preferably 3 mm or more.

The cross-sectional area S of the thin tube 30 does not need to be constant over the entire length, but in that case, the average cross-sectional area (a value obtained by dividing the integral value of the cross-sectional area in the length direction of the thin tube 30 by L) is used. AS, aspect ratio R = L / AS, AS ≦ 1 mm ² , R ≧ 10 mm ⁻¹ is preferable, AS ≦ 0.5 mm ² , R ≧ 50 mm ⁻¹ is more preferable, and AS ≦ 0. It is particularly preferable that ¹ mm ² and R ≧ 100 mm ⁻¹ . It is also possible to form a plurality of thin tubes 30 in the generator 3a.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the generator 3b used in the following embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the generator 3b includes a first flow path element 31, two second

flow path elements

32 and 33, and a third flow path element 34.

The first to third flow path elements 31 to 34 are composed of sintered diamond substrates S1 to S4 having a substantially square planar shape, and metal ring members R1 to R4 that are integrally fitted to the outer periphery thereof. Yes.

The substrate S1 of the first flow path element 31 has two through

holes

31a and 31b having a predetermined radius r1 at positions separated from each other by a predetermined distance D1, and the substrates S2 and S3 of the second

flow path elements

32 and 33 are The substrate S4 of the third flow path element 34 is located at a position separated by the same distance as D1, having the

long holes

32a and 33a whose width dimension w is about r1 and length D2 is about D1. It has through

holes

34a and 34b having a radius r2 that is about three times r1, and four pin insertion holes P are formed in the metal ring members R1 to R4 of the first to third flow path elements 31 to 33. It is formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

FIG. 2B shows the first to third flow path elements 31 to 34 in a state of being attached to the holding unit 4 of the nanomizer device 1 in a cross-sectional view, and the first to third flow path elements 31 to 34 are shown. The through

holes

31a and 31b communicate with both ends of the long hole 32a, the long hole 32a and the long hole 33a communicate with each other at the crossing positions, and the both ends of the long hole 33a communicate with the through

holes

34a and 34b, respectively. Further, they are stacked in a state where they are positioned with respect to each other with the pins inserted into the pin insertion holes 36.

In the generator 3b, there are four narrow tubes 30, that is, (1) a narrow tube 30 that enters from the through hole 31a and exits from the through hole 34a through the

long holes

32a and 33a, and (2) enters from the through hole 31 and is long. A narrow tube 30 of a route that goes through the

holes

32a and 33a to the through hole 34b, and (3) a thin tube 30 of the route that enters from the through hole 31b and goes through the

long holes

32a and 33a to the through hole 34a, and (4) the through hole 31b. The narrow tube 30 of the route that enters into the through hole 34b through the

long holes

32a and 33a is formed.

In the generator 3b, when the liquid goes straight through the through

holes

31a, 31b, 34a, 34b and the

long holes

32a, 33a, particles in the liquid are refined and / or highly dispersed by the same cavitation and shearing force as the generator 3a. Is done. Further, when the liquid in the through

holes

31a and 31b collides with the surface of the flow path element 33, or when the liquid collides with each other at the position where the

long holes

32a and 33a intersect, the particles in the liquid are fine. And / or high dispersion.

The flow path cross-sectional area S and the flow path length L of the narrow tube 30 in the generator 3b are the plate thicknesses of the first to third flow path elements 31 to 34, the diameters r1, r2 of the through

holes

31a, 31b, 34a, 34b, and the long holes. It can be set by the width W and the lengths D1 and D2 of 32a and 33a. In the following embodiment, a generator having a channel cross-sectional area S of 0.0113 to 0.0133 mm ² (inner diameter 0.12 to 0.13 mmφ) and a channel length L of 3.8 mm in any of the four narrow tubes 30 described above. 3 was used.

<Example>
Crude glycerin produced as a by-product when BDF was produced from waste cooking oil by transesterification under a potassium hydroxide catalyst was obtained from Sebec Co., Ltd., a BDF manufacturer, and fuel production experiments according to the present invention were performed using this. went. Crude glycerin obtained from Sebec Co., Ltd. was used as sample A.

(1) Formation of fatty acid magnesium Fatty acid magnesium is precipitated by adding 100 g of 20% magnesium chloride hexahydrate solution little by little while stirring a crude glycerin aqueous solution in which 20 g of crude glycerin is dissolved in 100 g of purified water with a stirrer. As a result, a brownish suspension containing fatty acid magnesium deposits, glycerin, potassium ions, water and the like was obtained.

Sample B was obtained by drying 6.9 g of a solid substance obtained by drying a brownish brown slurry-like filtration residue (fatty acid magnesium slurry) when this suspension was filtered in a thermostatic bath at 105 ° C. for 2 hours.

Sample B was relatively dark brown and viscous, and it appeared that a considerable amount of glycerin remained. An appearance photograph of Sample B is shown in FIG.

In addition, all the filtration in a present Example including the said filtration was performed using the filter paper (Whatman No. 2 150mm (PHI)).

(2) Removal of water-soluble components Water-soluble components such as glycerin and potassium ions are removed by washing and filtering the fatty acid magnesium slurry produced by the method (1) above under the conditions (a) to (d) below. Went.

(A) Sample C1 (stirrer washing + filtration once)
100 g of purified water was added to 23 g of fatty acid magnesium slurry, stirred for 10 minutes with a stirrer, filtered, and 17.5 g of the filtration residue was dried in a thermostatic bath at 105 ° C. for 2 hours to obtain 6.1 g of a solid material (Fatty acid magnesium) was designated as Sample C1.
Sample C1 was much less wet than sample B, and the brown color was also lighter. An appearance photograph of Sample C1 is shown in FIG.

(B) Sample C2 (stirrer washing + filtration 3 times)
Washing with water and filtration in the same manner as in the above (a) were repeated 3 times. That is, 100 g of purified water was added to 23.3 g of fatty acid magnesium slurry, stirred for 10 minutes with a stirrer, and then filtered. 100 g of purified water was again added to 16.2 g of the filtration residue obtained by filtering after stirring for 1 minute, and after stirring for 10 minutes with a stirrer, 14.8 g of filtration residue was obtained. Then, 5.4 g of a solid (fatty acid magnesium) obtained by drying this in a thermostatic bath at 105 ° C. for 2 hours was used as Sample C2.
Sample C2 was almost the same as sample C1 in both wetness and color. An appearance photograph of Sample C2 is shown in FIG.

(C) Sample C3 (Nanomizer water washing + filtration once)
100 g of purified water is added to 18.2 g of the fatty acid magnesium slurry, and the fatty acid magnesium in the suspension is refined or highly dispersed by passing it through the nanomizer device 1 at a pressure of 100 MPa of the high pressure pump 11. Purified water was added and stirred with a stirrer for 10 minutes, followed by filtration to obtain 19.7 g of a filtration residue. And 5.3 g of solids (fatty acid magnesium) obtained by drying this for 2 hours in a 105 degreeC thermostat were used as sample C3.
The sample C3 had a wet feeling less than the samples C1 and C2, and the hue was also thinner than the samples C1 and C2. An appearance photograph of Sample C3 is shown in FIG.

(D) Sample C4 (Nanomizer water washing + stirrer + 6 filtrations)
Washing with water and filtration in the same manner as in the above (c) were repeated 6 times. That is, 100 g of purified water was added to 22.6 g of the fatty acid magnesium slurry, passed through the nanomizer device 1 at a pressure of 100 MPa, 100 g of purified water was added, and the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes with a stirrer and then filtered six times. The filtration residues obtained by 6 filtrations were 27.5 g, 22.5 g, 24.3 g, 17.5 g, 20.8 g, and 18.1 g, respectively. And the solid residue (fatty acid magnesium) obtained by drying 18.1g of filtration residue of the 6th time in a 105 degreeC thermostat for 2 hours was made into sample C4.
Sample C4 had the same wet feeling as sample C3, and the color was much lighter than sample C3. An appearance photograph of Sample C4 is shown in FIG.

(3) Microencapsulation (coating with membrane material)
20 g of fatty acid magnesium (but not dried at 105 ° C. for 2 hours) 20 g of methanol (Wako Pure Chemicals / reagent grade), ethyl cellulose 10 (Wako Pure) Medicine) Add 3 g of the ethylcellulose solution in which 3 g is dissolved, and drop 200 mL of purified water at 6 mL / min while stirring with a stirrer to precipitate an ethylcellulose coating on the fatty acid magnesium particles, and filter the filtered residue. 7.4 g of powder obtained by drying in a constant temperature bath at 6 ° C. for 6 hours was used as Sample D.
Sample D was a dry, light brown powder with little wetness. An appearance photograph of Sample D is shown in FIG.

(4) Pelletization Using the pelletizer (PM-350) manufactured by Ueda Tekko Co., Ltd., pelletization of the following formulations 1 to 3 was attempted. The pelletizer die temperatures were all 54 ° C. (the following percentages are by weight).
Formulation 1: Sample D 20% + Palm kernel meal 80%
Formula 2: Sample D 50% + Palm kernel meal 50%
Formulation 3: 100% palm kernel meal
As a result, pellets having sufficient hardness suitable for use as a solid fuel could be formed for any of Formulations 1 to 3.
The pellets molded from the blends 1 to 3 were designated as samples E1 to E3, respectively.

(5) Evaluation of glycerin content <Measurement method>
About 3 g of the sample (C1 to C4 and D) was sandwiched between two pre-weighed filter papers (Whatman No. 2 150 mmΦ), and a weight of 4.4 kg was placed on this with a Saran wrap on it and left for 17 hours. The amount of glycerin exuded on the filter paper was calculated by carefully removing the sample on the filter paper and weighing it.
<Measurement results>
The results are shown in Table 1. In Table 1, W1 (g) is a weighed value of each sample used for the measurement, W2 (g) and W3 (g) are weighed values of the filter paper (2 sheets) before and after the test, and the amount of glycerin exuded W4 (g) and the glycerin ratio R (%) of each sample were calculated as W4 = W3-W2, R = W4 / W1 × 100.

(6) Measurement of combustion heat quantity <Measurement method>
The amount of combustion heat of samples A, C2, D, and E1 to E3 was measured at Shimadzu Techno Research Co., Ltd. The measurement was carried out according to JIS-M8814 using a Shimadzu-type Ikenken automatic cylinder calorimeter CA-4AJ.
<Measurement results>
The combustibility and the amount of combustion heat per unit weight of each sample measured as described above were as follows.
Sample A: 5380 kcal / kg
Sample C2: 6984 kcal / kg
Sample D: 6600 kcal / kg
Sample E1: 5447 kcal / kg
Sample E2: 6020 kcal / kg
Sample E3: 4920 kcal / kg

(7) Evaluation of flammability <Evaluation method>
As shown in FIG. 4, an ashtray for ash measurement 42 containing about 5 g of a sample 41 was set on a tripod mount 43 and covered with a transparent glass container 44 open at the top and bottom, and a filter paper 45 was placed on the top opening 44a. In this state, the burner 47 is ignited, and dust on the filter paper 45 is adsorbed by burning the sample on the ashtray 42 for ash measurement while sucking from above (46 in the figure is an annular shape for fixing the filter paper 45). A weight).
While visually observing the burning state of the sample and the generation state of the dust, a photograph of the filter paper 45 to which the dust was attached was taken by the above test.
<Evaluation results>
Samples A, B, and C4 were tested.
A photograph of the filter paper 45 after the test for each sample is shown in FIG.
The observation results of the combustion state and dust generation state of each sample are as follows.
Sample A: It was confirmed that the sample A ignited in a relatively short time after the ignition of the burner 47, but the size and momentum of the flame were clearly smaller than those of the samples B and C4. However, white smoke stood up during combustion, and the inside of the glass container 44 was not visible from the middle, making it impossible to confirm the state of combustion. As shown in FIG. 5 (A), not so much dust adhered to the filter paper 45, which is probably because the sample A did not burn sufficiently.
Sample B: The sample was ignited within a few seconds after the burner 46 was ignited, and thereafter, a vigorous flame was raised and combustion continued stably until the end. During the combustion, soot that was thick to some extent was generated, and as shown in FIG. 5B, the filter paper 45 was also considerably blackened.
Sample C4: The sample was ignited within a few seconds after the burner 46 was ignited, and thereafter, a vigorous flame was raised and combustion continued stably until the end. Although dust was generated during combustion, the level was much lighter than that of sample B, and the amount of dust adhering to the filter paper was clearly less than that of sample B as shown in FIG.

(8) Discussion The following can be said from the experimental results.

[A] Formation of solid fatty acid magnesium Solid magnesium fatty acid (samples C1 to C4) can be obtained by adding magnesium chloride aqueous solution to high viscosity liquid crude glycerin (sample A), washing with water and filtering. It was.

[B] Glycerin content From the comparison of the glycerin contents of Sample B and Samples C1 to C4 in Table 1, it can be seen that glycerin can be effectively removed by washing and filtering the fatty acid magnesium.
From the comparison between the samples C1 and C2 and the samples C3 and C4, it can be said that the nanomizer device 1 has a higher glycerin removal effect than the stirring method as a washing method.
However, from the comparison of samples C1 and C2 and samples C3 and C4, when the washing method was the same, the glycerin content did not decrease so much even if the number of washing and filtration was increased.
In addition, although the evaluation of the glycerin content in the above examples is not a direct measurement of the glycerin amount in each sample, the calculated glycerin ratio R is consistent with the observation results of the properties and appearance of each sample, and at least It is considered that the magnitude relationship of the amount of glycerin in each sample is faithfully represented.

[C] Potassium content The potassium ion content of each sample is not measured due to the experimental schedule.
However, since the water solubility of potassium ions is very high, it is considered that the potassium ion contents of Samples C1 to C4 and D are greatly reduced by washing with water.

[D] Microencapsulation The fatty acid magnesium of sample C1 contains glycerin to such an extent that a certain wet feeling can be felt. By coating this with ethyl cellulose, a smooth powder (sample D) can be obtained. It was.
In addition, since the glycerin content of samples C2 to C4 is considered to be the same as or lower than that of sample C1, when using samples C2 to C4, it is possible to obtain a more smooth powder (where glycerin does not exude). Conceivable.

[E] Pelletization A 20% or 50% sample D blended with palm kernel meal was successfully pelletized (samples E1, E2).
In addition, although it tried also increasing the compounding quantity of the sample D and pelletizing, it was not successful. This is because the pellet temperature does not increase due to the oil (glycerin) oozing out, so the amount of fatty acid magnesium that has been microencapsulated should be increased by improving the conditions of washing with water, filtration, and microencapsulation. Is considered possible.

[F] Performance as fuel-Fatty acid magnesium Sample C2 (fatty acid magnesium) has a high calorific value (6984 kcal / kg), and is increased by about 1600 kcal / kg with respect to sample A (crude glycerin). confirmed. This is considered to be due to the removal of glycerin having a small amount of combustion heat.
Samples C1, C3, and C4 have not been measured for the calorific value, but as shown in Table 1, these samples have the same glycerin content as sample C2 and have the same high caloric value as sample C2. it is conceivable that.
In the evaluation of combustibility, it was confirmed by visual observation that the combustibility of Samples B and C4 (fatty acid magnesium) was significantly improved with respect to Sample A (composition glycerin). This is considered to be because the glycerin content of Samples B and C4 is significantly smaller than that of Sample A.
On the other hand, as described above, the combustibility was greatly different between Sample A and Samples B and C4. Therefore, it was not possible to properly compare the amount of dust generated between them. However, in the comparison between sample B and sample C4, it was confirmed that the amount of dust in sample C4 was clearly reduced, and that the amount of dust could be reduced by washing with water.
Samples C1 to C4 still have some wet feeling and are limited in use because of the property that glycerin exudes by pressurization, but have high combustion heat and good combustibility as described above. Since it can be handled as a solid, it can be used as a solid fuel.

-Microencapsulated fatty acid magnesium Microcapsulated fatty acid magnesium obtained from crude glycerin (sample D) is a smooth powder and has a high calorific value (6600 kcal / kg). Thus, the amount of dust can be significantly reduced by washing with fatty acid magnesium. Since it is a powder, it may have a problem in handling properties such as transportation, but it can be used as an excellent solid fuel depending on applications.

・ Pelletized Fatty Magnesium By blending microcapsulated fatty acid magnesium obtained from crude glycerin with palm kernel meal, pellets with sufficient hardness suitable for use as solid fuel can be molded. (Samples E1, E2). Since these contain fatty acid magnesium, they have a higher calorific value (5447 kcal / kg, 6020 kcal / kg) than the sample E3 (4920 kcal / kg) of palm kernel meal 100%. Since the amount of dust can be greatly reduced by washing with water, it can be used as an excellent solid fuel in various applications.

As described above, it was demonstrated that a solid fuel having excellent performance can be obtained from a fatty acid water-insoluble product obtained from crude glycerin.

In the above examples, the case where the fatty acid water-insolubilized product is fatty acid magnesium has been described. However, if the fatty acid in the crude glycerin is water-insoluble, it is possible to separate glycerin, sodium ions, potassium ions, etc. The same effect as the example can be achieved. In particular, a salt of a fatty acid and a divalent or trivalent metal ion such as calcium or aluminum has properties common to fatty acid magnesium such as low water solubility and weak alkalinity. When fatty acid calcium, fatty acid aluminum or the like is used, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be achieved.

Claims

A fuel comprising a fatty acid water-insolubilized product obtained by water-solubilizing a fatty acid contained in crude glycerin or a fatty acid mixture produced as a by-product in the process of generating biofuel from fats and oils derived from animals and plants.
2. The fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fatty acid water-insolubilized product is a water-insoluble fatty acid salt produced by combining a fatty acid contained in the crude glycerin or the fatty acid mixture with a cation. .
3. The fuel according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined cation is a divalent or trivalent metal ion.
After the fatty acid water-insoluble material in the suspension in which the fatty acid water-insoluble material is dispersed is refined and / or highly dispersed using a high-pressure dispersing device, all or one of water and water-soluble components is removed from the suspension. The fuel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the fatty acid water-insolubilized product that has been highly purified by separating a part thereof.
The fuel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fatty acid water-insoluble product particles are coated with a membrane substance.
6. The fuel according to claim 5, wherein the membrane substance is composed of an ether derivative of cellulose or an organic acid ester derivative of cellulose.
A fuel characterized in that the fuel according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is solidified into a predetermined size and shape by being pressed alone or mixed with another material and pressurized.
A first step of producing a fatty acid water-insolubilized product by water-solubilizing a fatty acid contained in crude glycerin or a fatty acid mixture produced as a by-product in the process of producing biofuel from fats and oils derived from animals and plants;
A second step of producing a suspension in which the fatty acid water-insoluble material is dispersed;
A third step in which the fatty acid water-insoluble product in the suspension is refined and / or highly dispersed using a high-pressure dispersing device;
And a fourth step of separating all or part of water and water-soluble components from the fatty acid water-insolubilized product in the suspension subjected to the third step.