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

Abstract

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.