Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien

Norbert Bremus

Lutz Jeromin

Franz-Josef Carduck

Bernhard Gutsche

Wolfgang Rupilius

Gerd Goebel

Eberhard Peukert

Theo Fleckenstein

Gerhard Dieckelmann

Hartwig Schutt

Bernard Schleper

Reinhard Eicher

The invention is a process for the continuous liquid-phase esterification of C.sub.2 -C.sub.24 fatty acids with alkanols in countercurrent contact and reaction in a reaction column, the catalysts and fatty acids are introduced at the top plate and the alkanols below the lowest plate, at a head pressure of the reaction column of 200 to 900 hPa. The process reduces dehydration of the alkanols.

Process for the continuous esterification of fatty acids

A process for the catalytic hydrogenation of liquid fatty acid triglycerides and the simultaneous recovery of fatty alcohols and C.sub.3 diols in the presence of gaseous hydrogen and hydrogenation catalysts under pressures of from 50 to 300 bar and at temperatures in the range from 160.degree. to 250.degree. C., to produce fatty alcohols in at least 99% of the theoretical yield and of 1,2-propanediol in at least 80% of the theoretical yield and a maximum paraffin content of 0.5% of the theoretical yield is disclosed. The hydrogenation reaction is carried out in a tube bundle reactor operated under isothermal conditions through a cooling or heating fluid, the liquid phase being passed as co-current trickle phase with the gaseous phase over catalyst packings in the individual reactor tubes without back-mixing, and in that the load per unit volume of the reactor is selected between 0.2 and 2.5 l starting material per 1 reactor volume per hour and the load per unit area of each individual reactor tube between 1.5 and 25 m.sup.3 starting material per m.sup.2 reactor cross-section per hour and the reaction parameters of temperature and pressure are adapted in accordance with the actual catalyst activity.

Process for producing fatty alcohols and C.sub.3 diols by catalytic

A process for the continuous production of triacetin consisting essentially of continuously charging liquid glycerol into a first liquid reaction area through which acetic acid vapors and water vapors flow, said liquid reaction area being divided into a number of separate individual areas through which liquid glycerol and liquid acetin reaction products flow in one direction and gaseous acetic acid and water flow in a countercurrent direction, continuously charging acetic acid vapor to a separate individual area where said liquid mixture has an OH number of less than 600, continuously separating a liquid mixture of acetins and water having an OH number of less than 600, continuously passing said liquid mixture into a second liquid reaction area, continuously adding thereto liquid acetic acid anhydride in an amount sufficient to react with water dissolved in said liquid mixture to form acetic acid and to react with monoacetin and diacetin present to form triacetin and continuously recovering triacetin.

Process for the continuous production of triacetin

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Langenfeld, Germany

Norbert Bremus