Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien

Herbert Lepper

Lothar Friesenhagen

Wolfgang Schmidt

Guenter Panthel

Norbert Wrede

Dietmar Colignon

Erich Dorra

Hartwig Schutt

Francois Pierron

Process for the production of light-colored pastes of .alpha.-sulfofatty

Fatty acid alkyl esters are produced by catalytic transesterification of natural fats and oils containing free fatty acids. In a preliminary esterifying step, the free fatty acids present are reacted with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkanol (e.g., methanol) in the presence of an acidic esterification catalyst, at a temperature of about 50.degree. to 120.degree. C. and at substantially atmospheric pressure. The resulting reaction mixture is allowed to separate into two phases: (1) an alcohol phase containing the acidic esterification catalyst and part of the water of reaction and (2) an oil phase. These phases separately recovered. The oil phase is then extracted with an immiscible extractant, preferably comprising a mixture of glycerol and methanol, to remove residual water of reaction. In the final step the extracted oil phase is transesterified with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkanol, e.g. methanol, in the presence of an aklali catalyst and at substantially atmospheric pressure.

Process for the production of fatty acid alkyl esters

For the production of fatty acid esters of short-chain, aliphatic alcohols by the catalytic transesterification of natural fats and/or oils containing free fatty acids (oil phase) with the corresponding monoalcohols, the oil phase is subjected to preliminary esterification with the monoalcohols in the presence of acidic esterification catalysts at temperatures no higher than 120.degree. C. and under pressures no higher than 5 bars and in the presence of a liquid entraining agent substantially immiscible with the oil phase, after which the reaction product is separated into an entraining agent phase containing the acidic catalyst and water of reaction and the treated oil phase, the oil phase is then subjected to transesterification while the acidic catalyst-containing entraining agent phase is returned, after at least partial drying, to the preliminary esterification stage. By this process, fats and/or oils with acid numbers of up to 60 can be processed in the preliminary esterification stage to give an oil phase having a low acid number.

Process for the production of fatty acid esters of short-chain aliphatic

This invention is directed to the preparation of polyhydric alcohols. More specifically, this invention is directed to a continuous process for preparing polyhydric alcohols by the hydrogenation of carbohydrates in the presence of ruthenium-containing catalysts at elevated temperatures and elevated pressure, the improvement wherein the catalyst comprises a catalyst solid bed of ruthenium carrier catalyst in lumps.

Process for the continuous preparation of polyhydric alcohols

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Duesseldorf-Benrath, Germany

Herbert Lepper