The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Robert Kleiman

Terry A Isbell

Thomas P Abbott

Selim M Erhan

Douglas A Burg

Kenneth D Carlson

Beth A Plattner

An improved process for the production of high yields of .delta.-lactones and 5-hydroxy fatty acids from unsaturated fatty acids which are free or esterified with glycerol is disclosed. The .delta.-lactones may be produced by reacting one or more .DELTA..sup.5 or .DELTA..sup.6 unsaturated fatty acids in the presence of an acid, clay or zeolite catalyst. Alternatively, the .delta.-lactones may be produced by reacting one or more triglycerides which are esters of glycerol with .DELTA..sup.5 or .DELTA..sup.6 unsaturated fatty acids with the same catalysts. Because the .delta.-lactones may be produced from the triglycerides of unsaturated fatty acids, the process may be practiced using naturally occurring plant oils directly, without the need for any preliminary steps of saponification. Optionally, the .delta.-lactones so formed may be further reacted with an alkali in an aqueous solution to produce 5-hydroxy fatty acids.

Method for the development of .delta.-lactones and hydroxy acids from

Previously unrecognized polysaccharide products are extracted from either whole Lesquerella fendleri seed or commercially processed and oil-extracted seed meal or presscake or other seed material. Processes used include the steps of: (1) combining the seed material with an aqueous solution; (2) high speed stirring or sonification of the resultant seed material for the separation of the polysaccharide from the seed; and (3) isolation of the polysaccharide from the aqueous filtrate. The resultant polysaccharides are highly polymeric and enhance solution viscosities over a wide range of pH, bleaching and salt conditions.

Polysaccharide products derived from lesquerella fendleri and methods of

A process for the production of hydroxy fatty acids and novel estolide compounds, each of which may be used as lubricants, greases, plasticizers and printing inks, as well as in cosmetics. The estolides are of the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is selected from C.sub.6 -C.sub.16 hydrocarbons which may be saturated or unsaturated, and branched or straight chain, and optionally substituted, such as with one or more hydroxy groups; R.sub.2 is independently selected from C.sub.2 -C.sub.17 hydrocarbons which may be saturated or unsaturated, and branched or straight chain, and optionally substituted, such as with one or more hydroxy groups; A is selected from C.sub.3 -C.sub.14 hydrocarbons which may be saturated or unsaturated, and branched or straight chain, and optionally substituted; n is greater than or equal to 1; y is an integer from 3-13; x is 1 or 2; and . . . designates a single or double carbon/carbon bond. Formation of these estolides is by catalytic reaction of unsaturated fatty acids, especially .DELTA..sup.5 and .DELTA..sup.6 unsaturated fatty acids. Following their formation, the estolides may be recovered for subsequent use, or in the alternative, they may be hydrolyzed to produce hydroxy fatty acids.

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Peoria, IL, United States of America

Robert Kleiman