Market · Free fatty acids
Acid oil, soapstock and fatty acid distillates: three free fatty acid products, three sets of buyers
"FFA" is used for two different things: a quality number on fats and used cooking oil, and a family of merchant products. Buyers searching for "acid oil buyers" or "free fatty acid suppliers" find lab test kits and anonymous lead boards. This page separates the products, because each one has different producers, outlets and specifications.
First distinction: specification or product?
| Sense | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Quality parameter | "Category 3 fat, FFA 10% max"; "UCO, FFA 5%" | A specification of animal fat or used cooking oil. The fat seller is not selling fatty acids. |
| Product family | Acid oil, fatty acid distillate, distilled fatty acids, named cuts | Merchant materials in their own right, covered below |
Within the product family, an assay such as 70% or 95% FFA is a specification of one product, not a separate commodity.
The products are not synonyms
Acid oil (acidulated soapstock, soapstock acid oil)
How it is made: chemical refining of crude vegetable oil neutralises it with alkali. The resulting soapstock (soaps, gums, water) is split with mineral acid, and the recovered oily phase is acid oil. Public descriptions put it at roughly 40–80% free fatty acids plus residual glycerides, moisture and unsaponifiables. It is typically priced on total fatty acids (TFA).
Where it goes: high-FFA biodiesel plants (esterification, then transesterification); hydrotreated renewable fuels after pretreatment; some oleochemical intake; limited feed use under strict conditions. For fuel routes, ISCC names the certified material "Soapstock acid oil", and the parent oil's origin matters.
Who sells it: refiners' by-product streams, usually placed through feedstock traders rather than a refinery catalogue.
Fatty acid distillate (FAD), including PFAD
How it is made: physical refining strips free fatty acids overhead during deodorisation. The distillate is typically 80–90% FFA with unsaponifiables such as sterols and tocopherols. Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is the palm-specific grade and mostly comes from Southeast Asian refining.
Where it goes: feed fats, industrial fatty acids, and some fuel use where its classification supports it. PFAD is often treated as a product of refining rather than an automatic waste or residue, and palm-derived streams face deforestation and sustainability documentation demands from buyers and regulators.
Distilled (split) fatty acids
How it is made: oleochemical plants split fats and oils with water at high pressure into fatty acids and glycerine, then distil, and sometimes hydrogenate or fractionate. Typical purity is high (often 97%+ FFA).
Where it goes: soaps and detergents, metallic soaps, surfactants, esters, alkyd resins, lubricants and greases, and some feed grades. It is generally too valuable to burn as biodiesel feedstock.
Why it matters for sourcing: it is a coproduct of glycerine. The same plant runs two merchant books, but producing both does not mean selling both.
Named cuts and "mixed fatty acids"
Stearic, oleic, lauric and other fractions are separate products within the same family, specified by carbon chain. Trader pages often say "mixed" or "technical fatty acids". Always ask whether that means acid oil, a distillate or split fatty acids.
Customs codes (CN heading 3823)
| CN code | Content |
|---|---|
| 3823 11 00 | Stearic acid |
| 3823 12 00 | Oleic acid |
| 3823 13 00 | Tall-oil fatty acids |
| 3823 19 10 | Distilled fatty acids |
| 3823 19 30 | Fatty acid distillate |
| 3823 19 90 | Other, including acid oils from refining |
Trade statistics are usable per subheading and country, with care. They are not a clean "EU free fatty acid volume": the heading mixes named cuts, distillates, acid oils and, at heading level, fatty alcohols, and it never names companies.
Outlets by product
| Product | Biodiesel (FAME) | HVO / SAF | Feed | Oleochemicals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acid oil | Yes, high-FFA plants | Possible after pretreatment | Limited, condition-bound | Some mixed intake |
| Fatty acid distillate / PFAD | Sometimes, depending on classification | Contested treatment | Yes | Industrial fatty acids |
| Distilled split fatty acids | Generally no | No | Some grades | Primary outlet |
| Named cuts | No | No | Some grades | Primary outlet |
Specifications that move a lot
- Acid oil: total fatty acids, moisture and impurities, unsaponifiables, sulphur, phosphorus, parent-oil origin, and the certified material name for fuel claims.
- Fatty acid distillate: FFA, moisture and impurities, unsaponifiables, colour, origin and deforestation documentation, and feed versus technical eligibility.
- Distilled fatty acids: acid value, iodine value, saponification value, titre, colour, carbon-chain distribution, origin (vegetable or animal) and certification claims.
Price assessments for some of these streams exist behind subscriptions. OxyLens publishes no prices.
What OxyLens looks for in this market
- Which product a company actually offers or takes (acid oil, distillate or split fatty acids), recorded as a specification, not guessed from the word "fatty acids".
- Refiners and traders placing acid oils; high-FFA biodiesel and pretreatment sites taking them.
- Oleochemical splitters, where fatty acids and glycerine come from the same process.
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