Process for the production of bio-naphtha from complex mixtures of natural occurring fats and oils

1. A process for making a bio-naphtha and optionally bio-propane from a complex mixture of natural occurring fats & oils, wherein

said complex mixture is subjected to a refining treatment for removing a major part of non-triglyceride and non-fatty acid components, thereby obtaining refined fats & oils; and

said refined fats & oils are transformed into linear or substantially linear paraffins as the bio-naphtha by hydrodeoxygenation; or

from said refined fats & oils are obtained fatty acids that are transformed into linear or substantially linear paraffins as the bio-naphtha by hydrodeoxygenation or decarboxylation of free fatty acids; or

from said refined fats & oils are obtained fatty acid soaps that are transformed into linear or substantially linear paraffins as the bio-naphtha by decarboxylation of the fatty acid soaps.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said complex mixture of natural occurring fats & oils is selected among vegetable oils and animal fats.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said fatty acids are obtained by physical refining, including a steam distillation or vacuum distillation of fats & oils;

or said fatty acids are obtained by hydrolysis of triglycerides of the fats & oils;

or said fatty acids are obtained by acidulation of soaps.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said fatty acid soaps are obtained by:

saponification of fats & oils;

or by the chemical refining, including neutralisation of free fatty acids, present in the fats & oils;

or neutralisation of fatty acids, obtained from hydrolysis of the fats & oils.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said refined fats & oils are transformed into linear or substantially linear paraffins as bio-naphtha together with bio-propane by hydrodeoxygenation in the presence of hydrogen and at least one catalyst selected among Ni, Mo, Co, NiW, NiMo, CoMo, NiCoW, NiCoMo, NiMoW and CoMoW oxides or sulphides as catalytic phase, optionally supported on high surface area carbon, alumina, silica, titania or zirconia.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the hydrodeoxygenation is carried out at a temperature from 200 to 500° C., under a pressure from 1 MPa to 10 MPa and with a hydrogen to feed ratio from 100 to 2000 N1/l.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said refined fats & oils are transformed into linear or substantially linear paraffins as bio-naphtha by hydrolysis of the fats & oils into glycerol and fatty acids, removal of the glycerol or by physical refining, including a steam distillation or vacuum distillation of fats & oils or obtained by acidulation of soaps and hydrodeoxygenation or decarboxylation of the fatty acids, said hydrodeoxygenation or decarboxylation being conducted in the presence of hydrogen and at least one catalyst selected among Ni, Mo, Co, NiW, NiMo, CoMo, NiCoW, NiCoMo, NiMoW and CoMoW oxides or sulphides as catalytic phase, optionally supported on high surface area carbon, alumina, silica, titania or zirconia or group 10 and group 11 metals or alloy mixtures supported on high surface area carbon, magnesia, zinc-oxide, spinels, perovskites, calciumsilicates, alumina, silica or silica-alumina's or mixtures of the latter.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said refined fats & oils are transformed into linear or substantially linear paraffins as bio-naphtha by hydrolysis of the fats & oils into glycerol and fatty acids, removal of the glycerol or by physical refining, including a steam distillation or vacuum distillation of fats & oils or obtained by acidulation of soaps and decarboxylation of the fatty acids is carried out on basic oxides, alkaline earth oxides, lanthanide oxides, zinc-oxide, spinels, perovskites, calciumsilicates, either as bulk material or dispersed on neutral or basic carriers, on basic zeolites.

9. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the hydrodeoxygenation is carried out at a temperature from 200 to 500° C., under a pressure from 1 MPa to 10 MPa and with a hydrogen to feedstock ratio from 100 to 2000 N1/l, or wherein the decarboxylation is carried out at a temperature from 100 to 550° C., under a pressure from 0.1 MPa to 10 MPa and with a hydrogen to feedstock ratio from 0 to 2000N1/l.

10. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the decarboxylation of the fatty acid soaps is carried out at from 100 to 550° C. under pressure from 0.1 Mpa to 10 Mpa and in presence of water.

11. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the decarboxylation of the fatty acid soaps is carried out with a water to feedstock ratio of at least 1 mole water per mole of fatty acid soap.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said complex mixture of natural occurring fats & oils is selected among inedible oils, highly saturated oils, waste food oils, by-products of the refining of vegetable oils, and mixtures thereof.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the non-triglyceride and non-fatty acid components comprise free fatty acids.