Method for continuous processing of tall oil and the like

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING TALL OIL SKIMMINGS TO RECOVER HYDROLIZED PRODUCTS, WHICH COMPRISES MIXING THE SKIMMINGS WITH WATER AND ACID TO FORM A DILUTE SOAP SOLUTION IN WHICH THE ACID IS INTIMATELY DISPERSED, WHEREBY THE ACID AND SOLUTION UNDERGO AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION PRODUCTING A REACTION MIXTURE OF TALL OIL, SPENT ACID WATER, LIGNIN, SALTS AND REACTION GASES, SUBJECTING SAID REACTION MIXTURE TO A GAS-REMOVAL STEP TO SUBSTANTIALLY DE-GAS THE MIXTURE, FEEDING THE DE-GASSED REACTION MIXTURE TO A LOCUS OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND THERE SEPARATING IT INTO TALL OIL AS A LIGHT PHASE, ACID WATER AND SALTS AS A HEAVY PHASE, AND ACID WATER AND LIGNIN AS AN INTERPHASE, SEPARATELY DISCHARGING THE THREE PHASES FROM SAID LOCUS, FEEDING THE DISCHARGED INTERPHASE AND HEAVY PHASE TO A SEPARATING ZONE AND THERE SEPARATING LIGNIN AND SALTS AS RELATIVELY LIGHT AND HEAVY COMPONENTS, RESPECTIVELY, FROM SAID ACID WATER, AND RETURNING ACID WATER FROM SAID SEPARATING ZONE TO THE REACTION MIXTURE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING TALL OIL SKIMMINGS TO RECOVER HYDROLIZED PRODUCTS, WHICH COMPRISES MIXING THE SKIMMINGS WITH WATER AND ACID TO FORM A DILUTE SOAP SOLUTION IN WHICH THE ACID IS INTIMATELY DISPERSED, WHEREBY THE ACID AND SOLUTION UNDERGO AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION PRODUCTING A REACTION MIXTURE OF TALL OIL, SPENT ACID WATER, LIGNIN, SALTS AND REACTION GASES, SUBJECTING SAID REACTION MIXTURE TO A GAS-REMOVAL STEP TO SUBSTANTIALLY DE-GAS THE MIXTURE, FEEDING THE DE-GASSED REACTION MIXTURE TO A LOCUS OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND THERE SEPARATING IT INTO TALL OIL AS A LIGHT PHASE, ACID WATER AND SALTS AS A HEAVY PHASE, AND ACID WATER AND LIGNIN AS AN INTERPHASE, SEPARATELY DISCHARGING THE THREE PHASES FROM SAID LOCUS, FEEDING THE DISCHARGED INTERPHASE AND HEAVY PHASE TO A SEPARATING ZONE AND THERE SEPARATING LIGNIN AND SALTS AS RELATIVELY LIGHT AND HEAVY COMPONENTS, RESPECTIVELY, FROM SAID ACID WATER, AND RETURNING ACID WATER FROM SAID SEPARATING ZONE TO THE REACTION MIXTURE.