Hydrogenolysis of saturated,oleic and ricinoleic acids to the corresponding alcohols

Fatty acids are hydrogenolysed to correspond-ing alcohols in 90% yield at 220-250C at pres-sures of 3500-4000 psi. For saturated acids the catalyst is one per cent of copper and for oleic and ricinoleic acids 2% of copper and one per cent of cadmium, all present as their soaps. Only 10% of the unsaturation is lost. The main side product is the acid-alcohol ester. In hydrogenoly-sis of ricinoleic acid, the alcohol obtained con-tains 15% of ester and 10% of lower alcohols such as undecenyl.