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Novozymes’ latest biosolution, Lipura® Split, enables fatty acid producers to increase efficiency and boost sustainability in the fat splitting process
With the introduction of enzymatic Pre-Splitting technology, fatty acid producers can expect up to 30 percent energy savings, achieve a higher degree of splitting, increase capacity and save up to 30% water usage in the thermal fat splitting process.
For fatty acid producers, achieving a 98 percent degree of splitting is one of the most important goals. But in the process of reaching their efficiency goal, fatty acid producers have to balance challenges such as energy costs, water usage and yield maximization. With its latest biosolution, Lipura® Split, Novozymes uses enzymatic Pre-Splitting Technology to address those challenges with an easy-to-implement process that increases efficiency, sustainability, and profitability with little or no capital expense.
“Oleochemical producers are faced with changing market demands. Within fatty acid production, companies need to explore ways to stay agile, maximize the value of their feedstock and make their production more profitable and sustainable. We are excited to be the first to offer a biosolutions for pre-splitting solution at-scale to fatty acid producers, that can deliver more flexibility and improved economics,” says Hans Ole Klingenberg, Vice President, Ag & Industrial Biosolutions at Novozymes.
Industry-standard is efficient but throughput is slow Fatty acid is a building block for a wide range of industry products from lubricants to foods. In the first phase of producing fatty acid – the thermal fat splitting process – fats and vegetable oils (triglycerides) are converted into fatty acids and glycerol. This happens in a high-pressure, high temperature splitting tower.
Although the standard process for thermal fat splitting is generally effective, throughput is slow, and a great deal of energy is needed. Conversion of triglycerides happens in three stages. The first stage is slow as water and fat mix. It is only in the second stage that most of the fat is split. By pre-splitting with Lipura® Split, fatty acid producers can accelerate the rate of reaction in the first stage and increase production capacity by up to 20%.
Increased efficiency and less energy and water needed Pre-splitting is a supplemental process that significantly increases efficiency in thermal splitting. Novozymes’ Lipura® Split – an enzyme biocatalyst – and water are added to any oil and fat feedstock in an existing stir tank and agitated prior to introducing the mix into a splitting tower.
The enzymatic pre-splitting reaction significantly reduces and, in some cases, even eliminates the initial stage of the thermal splitting reaction, thereby making the process more efficient by reducing the amount of energy required.
“Ultimately, our goal is to help fatty acid producers achieve a higher level of splitting and increase their capacity while reducing their use of energy and water. Our latest biosolution, Lipura® Split, makes this achievable at a minimal cost,” says Hans Ole Klingenberg, Vice President, Ag & Industrial Biosolutions at Novozymes.
For more details on Novozymes’ Lipura® Split, view Novozymes’ global web page here.