Polyamine-cellulose nanocrystals for the removal of dissolved metals in rendered fats

The animal food industry produces enormous amounts of byproducts every year, including hooves, bones, blood, organs, and fat. These aggregated byproducts are collected and processed in rendering plants into various subproducts that reenter the industrial cycle. The rendered fats, composed of triglycerides from the adipose tissue of animals, are typically sold as lard, soaps, and additives for pet food formulations. However, the metal and inorganic contaminants in the rendered fat limit the marketability of the material towards biofuels, as the high metal concentrations poison refining catalysts. The development of this novel process allows for the removal of such metal and inorganic contaminants from the rendered fat. Currently, there are no other feasible strategies on the market to solve this problem. High value applications include biodiesel refining and animal feed applications. In particular, when considering the current context of energy scarcity, an effective, economic, and simple method for the removal of the undesirable elements could significantly contribute to the development of the emerging biodiesel and renewable diesel industries.