The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 02, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 06, 1998
Philip L Robinson, Isle of Palms, SC (US);
Thomas J Cuff, Charleston, SC (US);
Julian E Parker, III, Charleston, SC (US);
Westvaco Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
Sterols from the solvent-extracted or distilled neutrals of saponified tall oil pitch are disclosed to be isolated and purified by a process of a liquid-liquid extraction where the hydrocarbon extraction stream is washed with an aqueous methanol solution to remove methanol-soluble impurities by adding the methanol and water, sequentially or as a blend. The resulting hydrocarbon/neutrals/methanol/water solution separates into an upper organic phase and a lower methanol/water phase, which lower phase is removed. The remaining organic phase is allowed to cool to from about 20-30.degree. C., with agitation, to facilitate crystallization of sterols, which crystals are recovered by filtering.