PROCESS FOR PRODUCING WOOL WAX ALCOHOLS AND FATTY ACIDS

摘要

1318453 Saponification of wool grease MALMSTROM CHEMICAL CORP 25 Aug 1970 40818/70 Headings C2C and C2U In the recovery of alcohols and fatty acids from wool grease (including lanolin), the wool grease is saponified (preferably with a caustic alkali) in an isopropanol-water solvent mixture and the saponification product, preferably after dilution with more aqueous isopropanol, is subjected to continuous counter-current extraction with heptane or hexane in a rotating- disc extraction column (RDC). The extract phase from the top of the extraction column is subjected to countercurrent washing, preferably also in RDC's, firstly with dilute aqueous alkali and subsequently with water, and the solvent evaporated from the washed extract to yield the alcohol product which may then be subjected to steam-distillation. The raffinate phase from the bottom of the extraction column is acidified and the solvents stripped off to yield the fatty acid product.