•
product was obtained by acidulation of the biodiesel reactor bottoms and biodiesel
w a ^ water. In examples 1 and 2 , "tonne" means 1,000 k g (2,204.6 pounds).
The results indicate fliat the fatty acid i-;y.pn>duct is less effective than Fuel Oil
#2 under tiie same conditions. However, the material showed collector performance
similar to ^ t of neat fuel oil collector when ^ ficother dosage was increased.
Tabled. Collector Performance o f Fuel Oil # 2 and Neat Fatty
Acid By-product Compared '_^
MCHM frother, 0.15 kg/tonne I MCHM fix)ther, 0.30 I
^ kg/tonne
Collector! ' Fuel Oil I Fatty Acid By-Product Fatty Acid By-Product
Dose Cone. Combustible Cone. Combustible Cone. Ash Combustible
kg/tonne Ash(%) Recovery Ash(%) Recovery (%) (%) Recovery
. m, i_— -m
0.37 9.5 54.8 13.2 27.1 1CL8 57.7
0.75 8.9 77;9 12.2 - 48.0 10;^ 66.7
I 1.50 I 8.6 1 75.2 I 10.4 | 62.2 | 11.3 . \ 77.7 |
EXAMPI-E2
Furdier flotation tests were conducted using &e same test conditions as in
Example 1 on a diSerent batch o f coal sluny obtained from the same plant The
frother utilized was again crude 4-methyI cyclohexane methanol dosed at 0.15
kg/toime. The same biodiesel by-product was used for preparing two collector blends.
Blend 8:1:1 was prepared from 80% by weight of the biodiesel by-product, 10% by
weight of fuel oil, and 10% by weight of the I -propene hydroformylation product.
Blend 7:2:1 was prepared from 70% by weight of the biodiesel by-product, 20% by i
weight o f fuel oil, and 10% by weight of the 1-propene hydroformylation product The
results indicate that the collector blends containing fix>m 1 0% to 2 0% fuel oil match or
ou^rform the neat fuel oil collector at the same fro&er level.
!
- I S -

CLAIMS
The invention is claimed as follows:
1. A method of separating a first material from a second material, the
nethod comprising:
mixing the first material and the second material in a slurry with a beneficiation composition, wherein the beneficiation composition comprises at least one fatty acid by-product derived from a biodiesel manufacturing process or transesterification reactions involving triglycerides;
providing air bubbles in the slurry to form bubble-particle aggregates with the first material; and
allowing the bubble-particle aggregates to be separated from the second material.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fatty acid by-product is derived
from the addition of acid to the fatty acid salts solution of a crude fatty acid alkyl esters
phase during the biodiesiel manufacturing process.
■ 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fatty acid by-product is derived -
from the addition of acid to the fatty acid salts solution of a crude glycerin phase during the biodiesel manufacturing process.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fatty acid by-product is derived from the acidulation of at least one biodiesel manufacturing process stream containing at least one fatty acid salts component.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid by-product is derived from transesterification reactions involving triglycerides.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fatty acid by-product further comprises a component selected from the group consisting of methyl esters, ethyl esters, salts, methanol, ethanol, glycerin, water and combinations thereof.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the fatty acid by-product comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of C6-C24 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, C6-C24 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids salts, methyl esters, ethyl esters and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the fatty acids are selected from the
roup consisting of palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic
cid, linolenic acid, arachidic acid, eicosenoic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid,
etracosenic acid and combinations thereof.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the fatty acid by-product further
lomprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of C2-C6 mono-
di- and trihydric alcohols and combinations thereof.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fatty acid by-product further :omprises one or more inorganic salts.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid by-product comprises about one to about 50 weight percent of one or more methyl esters and about 50 to about 90 percent of one or more fatty acids.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the fatty acid by-product further comprises about 0.01 to about 15 weight percent of one or more C2-C6 mono-, di- and trihydric alcohols
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the fatty acid by-product further comprises about 0.05 to about 15 weight percent of one or more inorganic salts.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the beneficiation composition further comprises fuel oil.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the fuel oil is selected from the group consisting of kerosene, diesel fuel and combinations thereof.
16. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding one or more C4-C16 alcohols, aldehydes or esters to the slurry.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the C4-C16 alcohol is 4-methyl cyclohexane methanol.
18. A beneficiation composition comprising at least one fatty acid by¬product derived from a biodiesel manufacturing process.
19. The composition of claim 18, wherein the beneficiation composition further comprises fuel oil.
20. A beneficiation composition comprising fuel oil and at least one fatty acid by-product of transesterification reactions involving triglycerides.

21. The c6mposition of claim 20 wherein the beneficiation;cornposition further comprises fuel oil.
22. A beneficiation composition Comprisingtabout 70-to ,about 80 weight Dercent of.one or more fatty acidlby products, about'l0 to about'20weight.pefcent of fuel oil and about 1 to about ;20 .weighttpercent of one or more C4-C16 alcohols, aldehydes or esters.
23. A method of separating a first material from a second material substantially as herein described with reference to the foregoing description, tables and the accompanying examples.
24. A beneficiation composition comprising at least one fatty acid by-product derived from a biodiesel manufacturing process substantially as herein described with reference to the foregoing description, tables and the accompanying examples.