SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF FUNCTIONAL GROUPS IN SUBSTRATES AND PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED FATTY ACIDS AND FATTY ACID DERIVATIVES

摘要

Process for the hydrogenation of functional groups in hydrogenatable substrates, wherein hydrogen gas is mixed with the substrate and a solvent, the mixture is brought into contact with a catalyst. The hydrogenation is carried out under process conditions which are adapted to the activity of the catalyst used, wherein the temperature is sufficiently low, the substrate concentration is sufficiently high and the diffusivity is sufficiently high to provide a selective hydrogenation of the functional group having a higher reactivity than one which has a lower reactivity. The functional groups can for example comprise different C=C-groups in substrates in the form of lipids, primarily fatty acids and fatty acid derivatives, such as triglycerides and methyl fatty acids. Partially-hydrogenated fatty acids/fatty acid derivatives can hereby be obtained, which possess a low content of trans-fatty acid content as well as high selectivity in the form of SLf number and Sao-number.