Oleochemical uses of oils and biodiesel derived products

Renewable resources have long been used to serve the needs of populations to eat, to keep warm, to dress and many others. Oleaginous plants, of which rape and sunflower, have been used and are still used to cater for these needs.

Developing the uses of these vegetable resources is at the heart of the mission of SOFIPROTEOL, financial establishment of the French vegetable oils and proteins organisation.

The SOFIPROTEOL group, through its Diester Industrie subsidiary, is committed to producing 3 million tons biodiesel in 2010, mainly methyl esters derived from rape and sunflower seedoils, and which will also generate 300 000 ton glycerol. Sofiprotéol has also been investing for about 20 years in the development of oleochemicals, a growing market due to regulatory requirements as well as the strong demand for renewable and biodegradable products.

The focus of this talk will be to review the oleochemical developments and possibilities arising from the valorisation of glycerol and fatty acyl chains to produce fatty acids, esters, fatty alcohols, dimers and other specialties to be used as chemical intermediates or as end products.

Those products combine high technical and environmental properties and are used by industrial companies in applications such as lubricants, detergents, cosmetics and hygienic products, coatings, paints, bioplastics and other applications.