Claims
- 1. A process for the catalytic hydrogenation of fatty acid methyl ester mixtures which comprises the steps of:
- A. continuously reacting fatty acid methyl esters with hydrogen at a pressure of from about 20 to about 100 bar and a temperature of from about 160.degree. to about 270.degree. C. at a molar ratio of hydrogen to fatty acid methyl ester of from about 10:1 to about 500:1 in the presence of a particulate and/or granulated calcined oxidic catalyst activated by hydrogen or hydrogen containing gas and prepared from a mixture containing from about 30 to about 40% by weight copper, from about 23 to about 30% by manganese, from about 1 to about 10% by weight silicon, weight chromium, from about 1 to about 10% by weight silicon, from about 1 to about 7% by weight barium, from about 1 to about 10% by weight of at least one binder and from about 1 to about 10% by weight graphite, the percentages by weight being based on the total weight of the oxidic catalyst to form a reaction product containing a mixture of fatty alcohols and methanol, and
- B. Separating the reaction product from the catalyst.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst contains from about 32 to about 38% by weight copper.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst contains from about 26 to abut 29% by weight chromium.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst contains from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight barium.
- 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst contains from about 1.5to about 3% by weight silicon.
- 6. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst contains from about 32 to about 38% by weight copper, from about 26 to about 29% by weight chromium, from about 1 to about 6% by weight manganese, from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight barium, and from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight silicon.
- 7. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst contains from about 32 to about 38% by weight copper, from about 26 to about 29% by weight chromium, from about 1 to about 6% by weight manganese, from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight barium, from about 1.5 to about 3% by weight silicon and from about 1 to about 5% by weight of at least one of zirconium and cerium.
- 8. The process of claim 7 wherein said catalyst contains from about 2 to about 3% by weight of at least one of said zirconium and cerium.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein said binder is selected from polyvinyl acetate and methyl methacrylate.
- 10. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst has a grain size of from about 0.6 to about 3.0 mm.
- 11. The process of claim 1 wherein said particulate and/or granulated catalyst has a diameter of from about 1 to about 6 mm and a length of from about 1 to about 6 mm.
- 12. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst has a specific surface of from about 30 to about 50 m.sup.2 /g.
- 13. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst has a pore volume of from about 0.4 to about 0.6 cm.sup.3 /g.
- 14. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalyst is activated with an N.sub.2 H.sub.2 gas mixture containing from about 0.1 to about 10% by volume hydrogen.
- 15. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction pressure is maintained between bout 20 to about 50 bar.
- 16. The process of claim 1 wherein the reaction temperature is maintained between about 180.degree. to about 240.degree. C.
- 17. The process of claim 1 wherein said catalytic hydrogenation is carried out in a trickling bed reactor.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
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Kind |
3724254 |
Jul 1987 |
DEX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/222,454, filed Jul. 21, 1988, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2613226 |
Dec 1978 |
DEX |
3425758 |
Jan 1985 |
DEX |
2513377 |
Aug 1985 |
DEX |
124510 |
Mar 1971 |
INX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Ullmanns Encyklopaedie der technischen Chemie, 4th Edition, vol. 11, pp. 427-445. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
222454 |
Jul 1988 |
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