Henkel Corporation

Tracy K Hunt

Joerg Schwarzer

Bernhard Gutsche

Lutz Jeromin

Wilhelm Johannisbauer

Setsuo Sato

Roger A Lovald

Ramiro Carielo Bueno

Herbert Wogatzki

Hercules Peloggia

Volkmar Jordon

Process for the preparation of polyamides comprising the steps of A) reacting a soybean oil condensate obtained from the deodorization of refined soybean oil and which contains less than 30% by weight of free and esterified oleic acid based on the total weight of free and esterified fatty acids in said condensate, with a C.sub.1-4 alkanol in the presence of a zinc oxide catalyst to convert free fatty acids and fatty acid glyceride esters to fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters; B) removing excess C.sub.1-4 alkanol, volatile reaction by-products, water, and the zinc oxide catalyst from the resulting reaction mixture; C) heating the reaction mixture from step B) under vacuum to obtain a distillate of fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters; D) separating the distillate from step C) into a fraction containing mostly C.sub.16-18 saturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters and a second fraction containing mostly C.sub.16-18 unsaturated fatty acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl esters wherein the oleic acid C.sub.1-4 alkyl ester content is less than about 35% by weight thereof; E) dimerizing said second fraction in the presence of montmorillonite clay; and F) reacting the dimerized second fraction with a polyamine.

Process for the preparation of polyamides

Starting from a mixture containing tocopherol, fats and/or fat derivatives, more particularly fatty acids, and optionally sterol and/or sterol derivatives, the free fatty acids present in the mixture are esterified with an alcohol and fatty glycerides are transesterified with an alcohol in the presence of a zinc oxide and/or zinc hydroxide catalyst. After the esterifications, the excess lower alcohol is distilled off from the reaction mixture. The transesterification catalyst and the glycerol present, if any, are removed and the fatty acid alkyl ester is distilled off from the mixture. Distillation of fatty acid alkyl esters can be accomplished with a packed column in sequence with a wiped film evaporator. The simultaneous recovery of tocopherol and sterol is possible. Tocopherols and sterols can be separated by the crystallization of sterols from a blend of organic solvents.

Recovery of Tocopherols

Starting from a mixture containing tocopherol, fats and/or fat derivatives, more particularly fatty acids, and optionally sterol and/or sterol derivatives, the free fatty acids present in the mixture are esterified with an alcohol. The mixture is then transesterified with an alcohol in the presence of a basic catalyst. After the transesterification, the excess lower alcohol is distilled off from the reaction mixture. The transesterification catalyst and the glycerol present, if any, are removed and the fatty acid alkyl ester is distilled off from the mixture. Distillation of fatty acid alkyl esters can be accomplished with a packed column in sequence with a wiped film evaporator. The simultaneous recovery of tocopherol and sterol is possible. Tocopherols and sterols can be separated by the crystallization of sterols from a blend of organic solvents.

Recovery of tocopherols

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Kankakee, IL, United States of America

Tracy K Hunt