Tall oil fatty acids

CAS 61790-12-3

A pulp mill can supply chemical feedstocks as well as paper fibers. Tall oil fatty acids, CAS 61790-12-3, are a fatty-acid-rich fraction recovered from crude tall oil associated with kraft pulping. They are a mixture, with oleic and linoleic acids among the important constituents. The hydrocarbon chains and carboxyl groups provide different chemical functions, allowing manufacture of salts, esters and amides for varied industrial systems. Manufacturer portfolios include coatings, alkyd resins and lubricants. Grade composition matters: acid value and residual components reveal information that a single imagined molecular formula cannot provide. TOFA should therefore be distinguished from crude tall oil and from its downstream derivatives. Its story connects recovery of wood components with the deliberate selection of useful chemical functionality for another manufacturing process.