Process for alkali-refining crude natural oils

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REFINING A CRUDE NATURAL OIL CONTAINING COLOR BODIES WHICH REACTS WITH A STRONG ALKALI TO FROM OIL-INSOLUBLE SUBSTANCES, COMPRISING MIXING THE SAID OIL WITH AN AQUEOUS ALKALI CONTAINING AN AMOUNT OF ALKALI EQUIVALENT TO THE AMOUNT CONTAINED IN A SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION CONTAINING ABOUT FROM 10 TO 36% OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE, AGITATING THE RESULTING MIXTURE FOR ABOUT FROM .5 TO 40 MINUTES AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT 160* F. IN A VESSEL CONTAINING BAFFLES AND FITTED WITH AN AGITATOR HAVING 18 INCHES OF CUTTING EDGES PER POUND OF MIXTURE AND MOVING AT A RATE CAUSING THE CUTTING EDGES TO PASS THROUGH THE MIXTURE AT A RATE OF AT LEAST 800 FEET PER MINUTE SO THAT THE AGITATION EMULSIFIES THE MIXTURE IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND, AND, WHEN CONTINUED UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ISOTHERMAL CONDITIONS AFTER THE HEAT DUE TO THE REACTION OF THE OIL AND THE AQUEOUS ALKALI HAS BEEN DISSIPATED, INCREASES THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE AT THE RATE OF AT LEAST 0.5* F. PER MINUTE, AND SEPARATING THE RESULTING AQUEOUS AND OIL PHASES.