Cognis IP Management Gmbh

Truc Tran Anh

Horst Josten

Ewelina Sobierska

Pepa Dimitrova

Adrian Chan

Processes for obtaining fatty acids with reduced content of by-products, wherein unrefined fats or oils are subjected to steam stripping in a counter-current column to produce a bottom fraction of de-acidified fats or oils, a first distillate consisting mainly of fatty acids and glycerides, and a second distillate comprising fatty acids and essentially all unwanted ketones, aldehydes and phenols, and the bottom fraction containing the de-acidified fats or oils is combined with the first distillate containing fatty acids and glycerides.

Process for obtaining oleochemicals with reduced content of by-products

Described is a process for simultaneously purifying fatty alcohols and obtaining a fraction of free fatty acids, wherein: (a) crude fatty alcohols comprising up to 70% b.w. alkyl esters and/or wax esters are treated with alkaline bases in an amount sufficient to essentially convert said esters into alkaline soaps, (b) said alkaline soaps are separated from said fatty alcohols by extraction to produce a purified fraction of fatty alcohols and an aqueous soap phase, and (c) said soap phase is treated with strong mineral acids in order to release the fatty acids from the soaps.

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Düsseldorf, Germany

Truc Tran Anh