Process for manufacturing fatty alcohols

US5001284A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude · FR

Inventors

• Rene Dupont · Nogent-sur-Marne, FR
• Laurent Ferenczi · Paris, FR
• Guy Simonet · Paris, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 12, 1989
• Grant date: Mar 19, 1991
• Expiry date: Oct 12, 2009

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/129
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In a process for manufacturing fatty alcohols comprising hydrogenating the corresponding fatty acid methyl esters, the hydrogen used for the hydrogenation reaction is regenerated from impure methanol as a by-product of the reaction. The impure methanol recovered from the hydrogenation reactor is conducted to a steam reformer reactor, from whence the regenerated hydrogen is recycled back to the hydrogenation reactor.