PROCESS

摘要

2045547 9008123 PCTABS00001 A process is described for separating fatty alcohols from a fatty alcohol fraction which contains a minor amount of a lower alkyl (e.g. methyl) fatty acid ester or esters. The fatty alcohol fraction is subjected to transesterification to convert substantially all of any lower alkyl ester present to wax ester or esters. The resulting lower alkanol (e.g. methanol) is evaporated. Then the intermediate transesterification mixture is distilled to recover fatty alcohols. The residue from this distillation step is mixed with excess lower alkanol and again transesterified to reconvert wax ester or esters to lower alkyl esters. This mixture is re-distilled and the recovered mixture of lower alkanol and fatty alcohol or alcohols can be recycled. If an alkyl titanate is used as transesterification catalyst then both distillation steps can be effected without prior separation of the catalyst and the non volatile residue from the second distillation step can be recycled to the first transesterification step.