Acidulation and recovery of crude tall oil from tall oil soaps

摘要

In the present invention, tall oil acids are prepared by acidulating tall oil soap with supercritical fluid carbon dioxide. The method of preparation is carried out at a temperature of from about 31 DEG to 400 DEG C. and the supercritical carbon dioxide is under a pressure of from about 1075 to about 50,000 psi. The acidulate is extracted into the fluid phase of the supercritical carbon dioxide. The resultant tall oil acids are then recovered from the carbon dioxide fluid phase.