Long-chain unsaturated alcohols from jojoba oil by sodium reduction

Summary Jojoba oil is a liquid wax composed essentially of C₂₀ and C₂₂ straight-chain monoethylenic acids and alcohols in the form of esters. Sodium reduction of the wax fatty esters in jojoba oil yielded quantitatively a mixture of unsaturated, long-chain alcohols from the acid moiety of the jojoba oil. Yields of about 91% were obtained in the laboratory-scale experiments and 82 to 86 for the pilot-plant experiments. Analytical data, including detailed infrared spectra information, are given for the resulting product alcohols. Presented at the fall meeting, American Oil Chemists' Society, Cincinnati, O., September 29-October 2, 1957. One of the laboratories of the Southern Utilization Research and Development Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.