Davy Process Technology Limited

Paul Appleton

Michael A Wood

Robert Wild

Paul Willett

Michael Anthony Wood

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.

Process for producing fatty alcohols from fatty acids

A process for activating a reduced manganese copper catalyst comprising treating the catalyst at a temperature of more than 300&#xb0; C. to about 400&#xb0; C. with hydrogen.

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Thornaby, United Kingdom

Paul Appleton