Valorization of crude tall oil derived at softwood Kraft Mills

粗妥尔油（CTO）作为通过硫酸盐法制浆工艺使用针叶木（软木）制造纸浆和纸张的副产物而产生，其含有30-50%的游离脂肪酸（FFA）、40-60%的树脂酸（RA）和10-15%的不皂化物。一般在20-30？kg妥尔油/吨木材。CTO的全球产量约为每年160万公吨，仅在美国，供应给化学工业的FFA的约三分之二来自CTO。通常，CTO用于生产粘合剂或增稠剂。Resolute Forest Products（RFP）是一家位于安大略雷霆湾的纸浆和造纸厂，目前每天生产20吨（7，000吨/年）CTO。RFP将CTO储存在容量为 160 m3，直到用铁路汽车运输，数量约为100，000 L。RFP现在有兴趣调查CTO现场利用的机会，这可以使他们的产品范围多样化并产生额外的收入。可从CTO潜在衍生的产品包括生物燃料（生物柴油、妥尔油沥青燃料）和增值生物产品（燃料添加剂）。从CTO生产生物燃料和燃料添加剂需要将CTO预先分馏成游离脂肪酸（FFA）、树脂酸（RA）和残留的不可皂化组分（妥尔油沥青燃料）。FFA和RA馏分将用于生产生物柴油和燃料添加剂。该研究项目将与位于雷霆湾的湖首大学生物精炼研究所（BRI）合作进行。完全利用CTO的所有三个部分实现增值 RFP的产品代表了一种无废物技术，将为工厂产生额外的能源和收入。所提出的方法是新颖的，并且为工厂提供了根据市场条件和价格波动在生物燃料和生物产品之间切换的灵活性。使用燃料添加剂的预期技术经济成果包括提高燃料消耗（10%），减少烟雾（高达50%），降低温室气体排放（高达25%），延长发动机寿命等，这些好处将对加拿大的环境产生积极影响，并有助于应对气候变化和全球变暖。

Crude tall oil (CTO) generated as a by-product from the pulp and paper manufacture using coniferous wood (softwood) by the Kraft pulping process contains 30-50% of free fatty acids (FFA), 40-60% of resin acids (RA), and 10-15% of unsaponifiables. It is generally produced at 20-30?kg tall oil/ton wood. The global production of CTO is approximately, 1.6 million metric tons per year, and in the U.S. alone, about two thirds of the FFA supplied to the chemical industry is derived from CTO. Generally, CTO is used for production of adhesives or thickening agents. Resolute Forest Products (RFP), a pulp and paper mill located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is currently producing 20 t/day (7,000 t/year) of CTO. RFP stores CTO in storage tanks with capacities of 160 m3 until it is transported by rail cars in quantities of about 100,000 L. RFP is now interested in investigating the opportunity for on-site utilization of CTO that can diversify their product range and generate extra revenue. The products that can be potentially derived from CTO include biofuels (biodiesel, tall oil pitch fuel), and value-added bioproducts (fuel additives). Production of biofuels and fuel additives from CTO requires prior fractionation of CTO into free fatty acids (FFA), resin acids (RA), and residual unsaponifiable components (tall oil pitch fuel). The FFA and RA fractions will be used to produce biodiesel and fuel additives. This research project will be conducted in collaboration with the Biorefining Research Institute (BRI) at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay. The complete utilization of all three fractions of CTO for value-added products at RFP represents a waste-free technology that will generate extra energy and income for the mill. The proposed approach is novel and provides the mill with flexibility to switch on between biofuels and bioproducts depending on market conditions and price fluctuations. Anticipated techno-economic outcomes from the use of fuel additives include improved fuel consumption (by 10%), reduced smoke (by up to 50%), lower GHG emissions (by up to 25%), longer engine life, etc. These benefits will have a positive impact on Canada's environment and contribute to the effort of combating climate change and global warming.