Process for treating fatty acids
AssigneeUnilever Patent Holdings B.V.
InventorsAntonius J. M. Heynen, James P. Ward
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mixture of branched fatty acids containing 18 carbon atoms such as commercial iso-stearic acid is treated to lower the freezing point to below -10.degree. C., by mixing with urea and a lower alcohol, such as methanol, and filtering. The product is useful in the production of low freezing point esters for use as lubricants.
Claims6
A process for obtaining a fatty acid product having a reduced freezing point below -10.degree. C., as compared to the freezing point of the starting material, which comprises dissolving urea and a fatty acid starting material containing a mixture of single branched and multiple branched fatty acids predominantly containing 18 carbon atoms, in a lower alcohol, cooling the resulting solution so as to crystallize out crystals of a urea inclusion compound, and recovering said fatty acid product from the remaining solution, said recovered fatty acid product having an increased multiple branched to single branched ratio as compared to the multiple branched to single branched ratio of the fatty acid starting material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.