Prevention of Unsaturated Fatty Alcohols Depravation by Selective Hydrogenation of Conjugated Double Bonds

Abstract

A liquid unsaturated fatty alcohol containing only slight amount of conjugated diene impurities was obtained by the selective hydrogenation of industrial oleyl alcohol, originally taken from palm kernel oil through the use of a copper-chromium-mangane oxide catalyst, followed by fractional distillation and steam distillation. The liquid unsaturated alcohol thus obtained was improved with respect to suppression of odor and color impairment possibly arising from degradation. Additionally, the cloud point was kept low.