Manufacture of fatty alcohols based on natural fats and oils

The present worldwide capacity of fatty alcohols is ca. 1.0 million metric tons per year. About 60% of this capacity is based on petrochemical feedstocks, 40% on natural fats and oils. Three basic dominating commercial-scale processes are used to manufacture fatty alcohols: the Ziegler process and the Oxo synthesis starting from petrochemical feedstocks, and the high-pressure hydrogenation of natural fatty acids and esters. Basically, the high-pressure hydrogenation can be used with triglycerides, fatty acids or fatty acid esters as feedstock. The direct hydrogenation of fats and oils has not been developed to a commercial-scale process, mainly because it was not possible to prevent decomposition of the valuable byproduct glycerol. Conversion of fatty acids into fatty alcohols by catalytic hydrogenation without preesterification requires corrosion-resistant materials of construction and acid-resistant catalysts. Required reaction temperatures are higher, resulting in a higher hydrocarbon content. The majority of fatty alcohol plants based on natural fats and oils use methyl esters as feedstock. These can be made either by esterification of fatty acids or by-transesterification of triglycerides. For catalytic high-pressure hydrogenation of methyl esters to fatty alcohols, several process options have been developed. The bawic distinguishing feature is the catalyst application either in a fixed bed arrangement or suspended in the methyl ester feed.     

Alcoholysis of triacylglycerols by heterogeneous catalysis

Synthesis of fatty acid esters by alcoholysis, especially methanolysis of triacylglycerols was investigated using metal salts of amino acids as catalysts. The methanol to oil molar ratio was 6:1. It could be shown that salts containing a quaternary amino or a highly basic group as e.g. a guanidino group have catalytic activity in alcoholysis. Some of these salts are insoluble in monovalent alcohols, glycerol, and fatty acids esters and are therefore suitable catalysts for heterogeneously catalysed alcoholysis. Zinc salts of arginine, carnitine or histidine are among others suited for industrial use. These catalysts are also suitable for heterogeneously catalysed interesterification.     

Utilization of acid oils in making valuable fatty products by microbial lipase technology

Microbial lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis, esterification, and alcoholysis reactions were carried out on acid oils of commerce such as coconut, soybean, mustard, sunflower, and rice bran for the purpose of making fatty acids and various monohydric alcohol esters of fatty acids of the acid oils. Neutral glycerides of the acid oils were hydrolyzed byCanadida cylindracea lipase almost completely within 48 h. Acid oils were converted into fatty acid esters of short- and long-chain alcohols like C₄, C₈, C₁₀, C₁₂, C₁₆, and C₁₈ in high yields by simultaneous esterification and alcoholysis reactions withMucor miehei lipase as catalyst. Acid oils of commerce can be utilized as raw materials in making fatty acids and fatty acid esters using lipase-catalyzed methodologies.     

Production of fatty alcohols from fatty acids

Detergent-range alcohols from natural feedstock can be produced by high pressure hydrogenation of either methyl esters or fatty acids. The increasing quantities of fats and oils on the world market secure a reliable and economically priced material. Although fatty acid is an abundant worldwide commodity, most alcohol producers hydrogenate methyl esters, because direct hydrogenation of fatty acids is difficult as the catalyst is sensitive to acid attack. The process described here makes it possible to hydrogenate fatty acids directly to alcohols of high quality without prior esterification. The reaction takes place in the liquid phase over a fine-grained copper chromite slurry in a single reactor vessel. A special reactor design with an optimum arragement of the feeding nozzles causing an appropriate circulation of the reacting components inside the reactor facilitates the rapid “in situ” esterification reaction. This minimizes the free fatty acid concentration in the reactor to nearly zero. This results in a low consumption of catalyst. The most important advantages of the process are: direct feed of fatty acids of various origins, use of reasonably priced raw materials such as soapstock fatty acids and lower grade tallow acids, no process steps with methanol, and excellent economics. The process is industrially proven.     

Interesterification of edible oils

Types of interesterification discussed are (a) interchange between a fat and free fatty acids, in which the most important reaction is the introduction of acids of low mol wt into a fat with higher fatty acids; (b) interchange between a fat and an alcohol, e.g., with glycerol, in order to produce emulsifiers like monoglycerides; (c) rearrangement of fatty acid radicals in triglycerides, the so-called transesterification which in recent years has taken on the same importance as hydrogenation or fractionation. In natural fats, the fatty acid radicals are not usually randomly distributed but become so by rearrangement; the distinctive physical properties of natural fats and oils can be changed within limits by this transesterification. Well-known examples are cocoa butter, palm oil, and lard. More important is the transesterification of a mixture of different fats and oils; e.g., the combination of hydrogenation and interesterification allows the production of a solid fat with high linoleic acid content. The composition of glycerides after random interesterification can be calculated by formulas. Distinct from random is such directed interesterification. This is done by working at low temperatures that glycerides with higher melting point crystallize from the reaction mixture. Directed interesterification can be combined with fractionation, for instance, to get a higher yield of liquid fraction from palm oil than is obtained by fractionation alone. The transesterification process can be performed in a batch or continuously. A small amount of metallic sodium or sodium ethylate is used as catalyst, which is destroyed by water or acid and removed after the reaction.     

Techno-economic analysis of a biodiesel production process from vegetable oils

Biodiesel, which is defined as the monoalkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from a renewable lipid feedstock, has received considerable attention worldwide as a medium-term alternative to diesel fuel obtained from petroleum. Biodiesel can be produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats using short-chain alcohols in the presence of a suitable catalyst and glycerol is the only byproduct obtained in significant quantities. In this work a techno-economic analysis of a process that produces biodiesel from vegetable oils is presented with the aim to investigate the dependence of the critical profitability indicators on the production capacity.     

Direct conversion of lipid components to their fatty acid methyl esters

Summary Methyl esters were prepared from cholesteryl esters, phospholipids, and glycerides in substantially quantitative yields by methanolysis with large excess of sodium or potassium methoxide in absolute methanol. A silicic acid chromatographic adsorption column technique was described, which was effective in separating methyl esters from unsaponifiables such as sterols, pigments, etc., and free acids. Conditions for complete methanolysis of glyceride fats and oils requiring only 5 min. of reflux time were described. Quantitative conversion of fatty acids to methyl esters was accomplished by direct esterification with absolute methanol containing 4% HCL or H₂SO₄ and by methylation with diazomethane. Presented at the 50th Meeting, American Oil Chemists’ Society, New Orleans, La., April 20–22, 1959. Eastern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.     

The modification and analysis of vegetable oil for cheese making

Objectives of this study were (i) to incorporate short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in vegetable oils to obtain a bland product that could be used as a milk fat substitute in cheese making and (ii) to improve the methods for fatty acid analysis of vegetable oils modified with SCFA. Short-chain triglycerides (SCTG) were synthesized by esterifying SCFA with glycerol, and using a toluene azeotrope to remove the water of esterification. SCFA from two sources were used: (i) commercial acids and (ii) acids isolated by double distillation of milk fat methyl esters. The SCTG had a bitter, unacceptable flavor, but after interesterification with high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) and deodorization, the flavor was quite acceptable. SCTG were incorporated into HOSO at 100 and 120% of the levels found in the milk fat, by sodium methoxide-catalyzed interesterification. For fatty acid analysis, milk fat and simulated milk fat were converted to their decyl ester derivatives and analyzed by gas chromatography without further purification. The method was accurate and rapid for fatty acid analysis of fats containing a wide range of fatty acid chain lengths. All modified HOSO gave bland and acceptable flavors and had a SCFA composition close to that of milk fat. Results from using the modified HOSO in cheese making are reported in a later paper.     

Biodiesel production from high FFA rubber seed oil

Currently, most of the biodiesel is produced from the refined/edible type oils using methanol and an alkaline catalyst. However, large amount of non-edible type oils and fats are available. The difficulty with alkaline-esterification of these oils is that they often contain large amounts of free fatty acids (FFA). These free fatty acids quickly react with the alkaline catalyst to produce soaps that inhibit the separation of the ester and glycerin. A two-step transesterification process is developed to convert the high FFA oils to its mono-esters. The first step, acid catalyzed esterification reduces the FFA content of the oil to less than 2%. The second step, alkaline catalyzed transesterification process converts the products of the first step to its mono-esters and glycerol. The major factors affect the conversion efficiency of the process such as molar ratio, amount of catalyst, reaction temperature and reaction duration is analyzed. The two-step esterification procedure converts rubber seed oil to its methyl esters. The viscosity of biodiesel oil is nearer to that of diesel and the calorific value is about 14% less than that of diesel. The important properties of biodiesel such as specific gravity, flash point, cloud point and pour point are found out and compared with that of diesel. This study supports the production of biodiesel from unrefined rubber seed oil as a viable alternative to the diesel fuel.     

Sperm oil replacements: Synthetic wax esters from selectively hydrogenated soybean and linseed oils

Synthetic wax esters with properties similar to those of sperm whale oil have been prepared entirely from soybean and linseed oils. the synthesis required: (a) selective hydrogenation of the oils with copper-on-silica gel catalyst, (b) hydrogenolysis of fatty acids to fatty alcohols with copper-cadmiumchromium catalyst, and (c) esterification of hydrogenolysis products to yield predominantly long chain fatty esters which contained unsaturation in both the alcohol and acid moieties. Similarity of physical and chemical properties indicate that these wax esters are possible replacements for sperm oil. After sulfurization, the wax esters also have potential as extreme pressure lubricant additives.     

Methyl esters in the fatty acid industry

Methyl esters, derived from natural fats or oils, can be used as alternatives to fatty acids in the production of a number of derivatives. The derivatives that can be made from methyl esters include fatty alkanolamides, fatty alcohols, isopropyl esters, and sucrose polyesters. By using methyl esters as the raw materials, several benefits may be realized, such as, the ability to make higher purity finished products, the use of milder conditions during syntheses, and the need for less expensive materials of construction. In addition to the applications mentioned, methyl esters are being used increasingly in fractional distillations because they have lower boiling points and are less corrosive than fatty acids.     

Industrial Application Possibilities for Lipase

The application of lipases for modification of fats and oils by interesterification is expected to become a parallel route to that of developing the oil seed plants into producing fats and oils of desired characteristics. Total hydrolysis of fats and oils using microbial lipases in order to produce free fatty acids is being investigated. At present it is not clear, whether this type of process will be technically and economically feasible compared to the traditional high temperature, high pressure process mentioned. Methods for the evaluation of characteristics as position specificity and specificity towards short chain versus long chain (C₁₄–C₂₀) fatty acids have been described, as well as methods for the evaluation of interesterification and hydrolysis of fats and oils.     

The application of biotechnological methods for the synthesis of biodiesel

Synthesis of biodiesel is performed mainly by chemical catalysis, but can also be performed by enzymatic or microbial methods, and these might play an important role in future substitution of petroleum‐based diesel. To discover sustainable, economically attractive biotechnological processes for biodiesel synthesis, close cooperation between different disciplines is needed. Currently, lipases are the enzymes of choice for the synthesis of fatty acid esters (FAE) from fats and oils, yielding biodiesel with the methyl esters (FAME) as the most important product. More recently, the direct production of FAE using engineered whole cell microorganism has also been described (MicroDiesel). Current enzymatic processes are still hampered by the high costs of the biocatalyst, but significant progress has recently been made leading to the first industrial enzymatic biodiesel production. Enzymatic biodiesel production is mostly attractive because of the starting materials (waste frying oils, oils with high water content, etc.), for which conventional chemical interesterification can hardly be applied.     

Lipase-catalyzed interesterification of oils and fats

Extracellular microbial lipases can be used as catalysts for the interesterification of oils and fats. Use of specific lipases gives products which are unobtainable by chemical interesterification methods. Some of these products have properties of value to the oils and fats industry. The catalysts for enzymatic interesterification are prepared by coating inorganic support materials with the lipases. For batch interesterification reactions, the catalyst particles are activated by addition of a small amount of water and then stirred with a reactant mixture dissolved in petroleum ether. At the end of the reaction period, the catalyst particles are removed by filtration, and the interesterified triglycerides isolated by conventional fat fractionation techniques. The catalyst can be used in subsequent batch reactions. As an alternative to the batch reaction system, continuous enzymatic interesterification processes can be operated by pumping water containg feedstock through a packed bed of activated catalyst.     

Study on the glycerolysis reaction of high free fatty acid oils for use as biodiesel feedstock

Biodiesel is the main alternative to fossil diesel and it may be produced from different feedstocks such as semi-refined vegetable oils, waste frying oils or animal fats. However, these feedstocks usually contain significant amounts of free fatty acids (FFA) that make them inadequate for the direct base catalyzed transesterification reaction (where the FFA content should be lower than 4%). The present work describes a possible method for the pre-treatment of oils with a high content of FFA (20 to 50%) by esterification with glycerol. In order to reduce the FFA content, the reaction between these FFA and an esterification agent is carried out before the transesterification reaction. The reaction kinetics was studied in terms of its main factors such as temperature, % of glycerin excess, % of catalyst used, stirring velocity and type of catalyst used. The results showed that glycerolysis is a promising pre-treatment to acidic oils or fats (> 20%) as they led to the production of an intermediary material with a low content of FFA that can be used directly in the transesterification reaction for the production of biodiesel.     

Antimicrobial agents derived from fatty acids

The author reviews his research, since 1966, for the ideal germicide. The relationship between structure of fatty acids, their corresponding esters, and antimicrobial activity is presented. Saturated fatty acids have their highest activity when the chain length is twelve carbons (C₁₂) long; monounsaturated fatty acids reach their peak with palmitoleic acid (C_16∶1); the most active polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic.Trans isomers are not active against microorganisms. The esterification of fatty acids to monohydric alcohols leads to inactive derivatives, whereas esterification to polyhydric alcohols increases biological activity. Examples of glycerol and sucrose esters are reviewed. In general, the lauroyl derivatives are the most active. A few examples of esters as active pharmacological agents against organisms causing bovine mastitis are presented as well as the use of monolaurin (Lauricidin^®) as cosmetic and food preservatives. The safety and efficacy of fatty acid esters as potential germicides offer new and expanded roles for oleochemicals.     

Kinetics of hydrolysis and methyl esterification for biodiesel production in two-step supercritical methanol process

For high-quality biodiesel fuel production from oils/fats, the catalyst-free two-step supercritical methanol process has been developed in a previous work, which consists of hydrolysis of triglycerides to fatty acids in subcritical water and subsequent methyl esterification of fatty acids to their methyl esters in supercritical methanol. In this paper, therefore, kinetics in hydrolysis and subsequent methyl esterification was studied to elucidate reaction mechanism. As a result, fatty acid was found to act as acid catalyst, and simple mathematical models were proposed in which regression curves can fit well with experimental results. Fatty acid was, thus, concluded to play an important role in the two-step supercritical methanol process.     

A rapid and quantitative procedure for the preparation of methyl esters of butteroil and other fats

A simple and convenient method for the quantitative preparation of methyl esters of fatty acids from glyceride fats and oils is described. The procedure, using potassium methylate as catalyst and a heating interval of 2 min at 65C in a closed vial, is applicable to fats containing both low and high molecular weight fatty acids such as butteroil. The methyl esters of samples ranging from a few mg to 30 mg are isolated by CS₂ extraction and a TLC technique. A similar procedure using sulfuric acid in methanol as catalyst is described for the conversion of free fatty acids to methyl esters. For the routine analysis by GLC of fats and oils such as lard, tallow, soybean, cottonseed oil or butteroil, no isolation of the methyl ester is required. A CS₂ extraction carried out in the reaction vial allows the GLC analysis immediately after the reaction period (2 min). Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Philadelphia, October 1966. E. Utiliz. Ees. Dev. Div., ABS, USDA.     

An efficient and expeditious synthesis of phytostanyl esters in a solvent‐free system

Esterification of natural phytostanols with various fatty acids by using Lewis acid‐surfactant combined catalyst was investigated. For synthesis of phytostanol esters of saturated fatty acids, cuprum dodecyl sulfate [Cu(DS)₂] was the most desirable catalyst due to its high selectivity, reusability, activity, and less corrosivity, whereas stanol selectivity with other catalysts, such as ZnCl₂ and tungstophosphoric acid. The substrate molar ratio of 1.2:1 (lauric acid/phytostanols) was the optimal. For synthesis of phytostanol esters of unsaturated fatty acids, cerium dodecyl sulfate [Ce(DS)₃] was better than [Cu(DS)₂] which was based on the oxidation of the unsaturated fatty acids during the reaction. The chemical structure of the sitostanyl stearate, sitostanyl oleate, and sitostanyl linoleate were confirmed by FTIR, MS, and NMR, respectively. As a result, the [Cu(DS)₂] and [Ce(DS)₃] were screened to synthesize phytostanyl esters of fatty acids for commercial production. Practical applications: Phytostanols are important for human health and nutrition. Unfortunately, due to the poor solubility of free stanols (unesterified) in fats and oils, there is a demand for a good way to improve the solubility or bioavailability of phytostanols, such as esterification of phytostanols with fatty acids. This study aims at finding an efficient and expeditious synthesis of phytostanyl esters. At the same time, environmental impact and the oxidation of the unsaturated fatty acids during the reaction should be considered.     

Challenges to a mature industry: Marketing and economics of oleochemicals in Western Europe

Basic oleochemicals are produced by splitting and further reactions of oils and fats: fatty acids, glycerine, fatty acid methyl esters, fatty alcohols and amines. The last two are included in the list of oleochemical raw materials, primarily because of their importance in the preparations of further derivatives. The wide range of derivatives of oleochemical raw materials such as fatty alcohol ethoxylates, fatty alcohol sulfates, fatty alcohol ether sulfates, quaternary ammonium compounds and soaps are summarized. Oleochemicals such as fatty alcohols and glycerine from oils and fats have equivalents on the basis of petrochemicals. Using the customary terminology, petrochemical products are referred to as “synthetics.” The are included in the present discussion because in the application of oleochemical raw materials the origin of the material is often less important than the structure. Oleochemistry can be regarded as a mature branch of chemistry, with many applications for its products, but with few completely new fields. The challenge and the opportunities for oleochemistry today lie in the changing economic and ecological conditions. Availability and price development of oils and fats are discussed with particular reference to European conditions, for these are the prerequisites if oleochemicals are to be competitive and are to improve their chances in the marketplace. The importance and development of the oleochemical raw material fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters, glycerine, fatty alcohols and amines are considered on the basis of historical data. In considering future developments of oleochemicals, the capacity, demand and the possible influence of petrochemistry or crude oil is discussed. The highly developed oleochemical raw materials industry is a flexible supplier of medium-to long-chain fatty alkyl groups. These facts, together with the well organized supply lines for raw materials and the considerable potential of these renewable raw materials, could provide the necessary conditions for the oleochemical raw materials industry to fulfil its future tasks on a larger scale. This could arise, for example, due to the partial substitution of petrochemical surfactants, if this should become necessary as a result of developments in the price and availability of crude oil, or on grounds of ecological factors.