Process for producing fatty alcohols from fatty acids
US8884078B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 1, 2012 |
| Grant date | Nov 11, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 1, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC07C67/08
- WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
In a process for the production of fatty alcohol(s) a fatty acid or fatty acid mixture is subjected to esterification with a lower alkanol to form a stream comprising the corresponding lower alkyl ester or esters. The stream is vaporized and subjected to hydrogenation to form a stream comprising fatty alcohol(s) and an amount of unconverted lower alkyl ester(s). This stream is subjected to transesterification in a wax ester reactor in the presence of a solid transesterification catalyst. Fatty alcohol(s) and wax ester(s) are then separated by distillation to yield a fatty alcohol(s) product and a stream comprising wax ester(s). The stream of wax ester(s) is passed to a second hydrogenation zone to effect hydrogenation in the liquid phase to revert the wax ester(s) to fatty alcohol(s), which are returned to the distillation separation step.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.