US 5,710,350 AGranted

Process for the production of diglycerol

AssigneeHenkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien

InventorsLutz Jeromin, Bernhard Gutsche, Reinhard Bunte, Volkmar Jordan

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A process for preparing diglycerol in high concentrations and high yields by partially reacting glycerol in the presence of an alkaline catalyst to form a reaction mixture containing from 10 to 15% by weight of diglycerol and separating the unreacted glycerol from the reaction mixture in a wiped film or short path first distillation zone at a reduced pressure of 0.5 to 5 mbar and distilling a bottoms product from the first distillation zone in a second distillation zone which is a short path distillation zone at a pressure of 0.05 to 0.3 mbar to obtain a second bottom product containing at least 90% by weight diglycerol. Diglycerol of higher purity can be obtained by recovering diglycerol as a distillate from a third distillation zone.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A process for the production of diglycerol by condensation of glycerol in the presence of a basic catalyst, at a reaction temperature of from 200.degree. C. to 275.degree. C. and concentration of the diglycerol by distillation, which comprises:

a) partially reacting glycerol, in a reaction zone, to form a reaction mixture containing 10% to 15% by weight of diglycerol;
b) terminating the reaction by cooling the reaction mixture to a temperature below 200.degree. C.;
c) distilling the reaction mixture in a first distillation zone which comprises a distillation zone selected from the group consisting of a wiped film evaporator zone and a short-path evaporator zone, at a pressure of 0.5 to 5 mbar and a bottom temperature of the distillation zone of 125.degree. C. to 170.degree. C. to form a first bottom product;
and
d) distilling the first bottom product in a second distillation zone comprising a short path evaporator zone at a pressure of 0.05 to 0.3 mbar and a bottom temperature of 140.degree. C. to 170.degree. C. to obtain a second bottom product containing more than 90% by weight of diglycerol.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.