PROCESS FOR SEPARATING FATTY ACIDS AND MOLECULAR SIEVE THEREFOR

摘要

Oleic acid is separated from a feed mixture comprising oleic acid and linoleic acid by contacting the mixture at separation conditions with a molecular sieve comprising silicalite, thereby selectively retaining the oleic acid, removing the linoleic acid and recovering the oleic acid from the molecular sieve by displacement with a displacement fluid. The feed mixture may also contain rosin acids, in which case a first molecular sieve comprising silicalite is used to separate the fatty acids from the rosin acids. It is preferred that the displacement fluid comprise a liquid having a high polarity index and that the molecular sieve comprise silicalite dispersed in a silica matrix. A particularly preferred and novel molecular sieve comprises silicalite in a silica matrix and derived from a precursor comprising silicalite powder dispersed in colloidal amorphous silica, said precursor having been gelled and then treated in a manner effecting substantially complete elimination of hydroxyl groups on the molecular sieve.