Natural fats and oils route to fatty alcohols

Abstract

The Philippines will be the site for a chemical plant that will use coconut oil to make fatty alcohols by means of a direct hydrogenation route - eliminating an intermediate esterification step. The facility will produce about 65,000 tonnes/yr of coconut fatty acid and 7,900 tonnes/yr of glycerine. About half of the fatty acid produced will be used to make 29,000 tonnes/yr of fatty alcohols. The principles and operation of the process are outlined.