Recovery of tocopherol and sterol from tocopherol and sterol containing mixtures of fats and fat derivatives

US5627289A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien · DE

Inventors

• Lutz Jeromin · Hilden, DE
• Wilhelm Johannisbauer · Erkrath, DE
• Bernhard Gutsche · Hilden, DE
• Volkmar Jordan · Steinfurt, DE
• Herbert Wogatzki · Goldkronach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 27, 1995
• Grant date: May 6, 1997
• Expiry date: Feb 27, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07D311/72
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process is provided for simultaneously recovering tocopherol and sterol from a mixture containing tocopherol, fats and/or fat derivatives, more particularly fatty acids, and sterol and/or sterol derivatives, more particularly from a steamer distillate of natural oils and fats. The steps of said process comprise: PA1 free fatty acids present in the mixture are esterified with a lower alcohol, preferably methanol, 0.4 to 1.6 and more particularly 1 to 1.5 parts by volume of mixture being esterified with 1 part by volume of the lower alcohol, PA1 the mixture is subsequently transesterified with the lower alcohol in the presence of a basic catalyst, PA1 the excess lower alcohol is distilled off from the reaction mixture after the transesterification, PA1 the transesterification catalyst and the glycerol optionally present are removed, more particularly by washing, PA1 the fatty acid alkyl ester is distilled off from the mixture, more particularly after removal of the transesterification catalyst, and PA1 if desired, tocopherol and sterol are separated by methods known per se. After the transesterification reaction, the alkali catalyst is preferably neutralized with an inorganic acid …