Kao Corporation

Kiyoshi Tsukada

Yasuyuki Hattori

Osamu Tabata

Kunizo Hashiba

Taku Mimura

Noriaki Fukuoka

Hiroyuki Tamura

Atsuhito Mori

Akira Yamamuro

Jun Kamegai

Akio Kimura

Shigeru Tamura

Shigetoshi Suzue

Hidekazu Ogino

Masamitsu Horio

Morio Matsuda

Futoshi Nishigaki

Hidetoshi Kadowaki

Takahiro Kawakami

Makoto Misono

Kozo Noda

Method for preparing copper-containing hydrogenation reaction catalyst

A copper-containing hydrogenation reaction catalyst is prepared by reducing a precursor of a copper-containing catalyst usable in hydrogenation reaction with hydrogen gas or a mixture of hydrogen and an inert gas by liquid phase reduction in a stream of a solvent in the temperature range of from 50.degree. to 140.degree. C. An alcohol is produced using the catalyst thus obtained in a fixed bed continuous reaction system.

A hydrogenation reaction catalyst precursor of the present invention comprises a catalyst carrier (A) and a metal oxide composition (B) carried on or mixed with the catalyst carrier (A) at a weight ratio of (B)/(A)=15/85 to 65/35; the catalyst carrier (A) comprising a carrier base material of silica, etc. and a coating of titanium oxide and/or titanium hydroxide, the metal oxide composition (B) comprising copper oxide, zinc oxide, and at least one oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of an element of group IIa of the periodic table, an element of group IIIb of the table, a lanthanide element, and an actinide element at a weight ratio of 100/(0 to 25)/(0 to 25). A hydrogenation reaction catalyst with a high catalytic activity and a high reaction selectivity is obtained by reduction of the hydrogenation reaction catalyst precursor. By the use of the hydrogenation reaction catalyst of the present invention, a high quality alcohol can be produced at a high yield and with a high selectivity even at a low reaction temperature and a low hydrogen pressure.

Hydrogenation reaction catalyst precursor, process for production

A process for producing desulfurized fats and oils or fatty acid esters, which are highly suitable as a starting material for producing alcohols via hydrogenation, at a high yield is disclosed. Desulfurized fats and oils or fatty acid esters are obtained by contacting fats and oils or fatty acid esters with a catalyst represented by the following formula (I) under a hydrogen atmosphere or a mixture of hydrogen with an inert gas:

Process for producing desulfurized fats and oils or fatty acid esters

A process for producing desulfurized fats and oils or fatty acid esters is disclosed, which comprises treating fats and oils or fatty acid esters under hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and an inert gas atmosphere at a pressure of from 0.1 to 500 kg/cm.sup.2 in the absolute pressure at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 350.degree. C. in the presence of a catalyst of the following formula (I):

A process for producing an alcohol from a fatty acid ester, a fatty acid triglyceride or a fatty acid by continuously catalytically reducing the starting material in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst is disclosed. In the process of the present invention, two reactors (i.e., the main reactor located upstream and the after reactor located downstream) being located in series are employed. In the process of the present invention, two reactors are employed and the temperatures thereof are individually controlled, whereby the conversion ratio is elevated while suppressing the formation of hydrocarbon and aldehyde by-products. Thus, an alcohol of extremely high quality and high purity can be produced. Further, the process of the present invention makes it possible to omit any post-treatment for eliminating the by-products. Furthermore, the active life of the hydrogenation catalyst can be remarkably prolonged by using three reactors (i.e., the guard reactor, the main reactor and the after reactor).

Process for producing alcohol

A process for producing a hydrogenation reaction catalyst precursor is disclosed, including the steps of:

Process for producing hydrogenation reaction catalyst precursor

A process for producing alcohols comprising catalytically reducing fats and oils or fatty acid esters with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst for ester reduction is disclosed, wherein the starting oils are first treated at a temperature of from 50.degree. to 200.degree. C. in hydrogen gas or a mixed gas of hydrogen and an inert gas in the presence of a nickel catalyst to yield a sulfur content at not more than 0.6 ppm an acid value (KOH mg/g) of not more than 2. By use of the thus purified starting oils, the catalyst for ester reduction exhibits a prolonged duration.

The hydrogenation catalyst comprises copper, iron, aluminum and optionally zine and a support selected from aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide and a mixture of aluminum hydroxide and aluminum oxide, having an atomic ratio of Cu/Fe/Al/Zn in the range of 1/(0.4 to 2.5)/(0.5 to 5.0)/(0 to 1.0). It is produced by dispersing a material for the support in an aqueous medium, depositing cupper and iron on the dispersant, further depositing thereon aluminum and sintering it. It is a catalyst for production of a higher alcohol from its methyl ester, effecting hydrogenation with an improved selectivity and activity.

Process for producing hydrogenation catalyst

An alcohol is effective produced by catalytically reducing an organic carboxylic acid ester with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst obtained by reducing a catalyst precursor comprising (A) copper oxide and (B) titanium oxide and/or titanium hydroxide at a weight ratio of (A) to (B) in the range between 15/85 and 65/35. The component (A) may be alternatively a composite metal oxide comprises copper oxide and up to 20 wt. % of zinc oxide.

Process for preparation of alcohols

Lactic acid esters of an .alpha.-branched fatty acid possessing an excellent hair conditioning effect are disclosed. Typical example is sodium 2-heptylundecanoyl acid lactate prepared by the reaction of 2-heptylundecanoic acid and lactic acid in the presence of an alkali such as sodium hydroxide. This compound gives a shampoo composition in conjunction with an anionic surface active agent, and a hair rinse composition when a quaternary ammonium salt is formulated. The compositions have excellent conditioning effects on use such as good slipperiness and hair curling formation or retention performance.

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Wakayama, Japan

Kiyoshi Tsukada