Method for purifying an inert gas while preparing lower alkyl esters
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsEric Paul Granberg, Richard Gerard Schafermeyer, James Anthony Letton
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Abstract
A process for purifying an inert gas stream from a transesterification reaction wherein a lower alkyl alcohol is released during the reaction is claimed. A second use of the process is to make a lower alkyl, e.g., methyl, esters of fatty acids through a transesterification reaction using gaseous alcohols as a source of the lower alkyl alcohols. The alcohol is diluted with nitrogen or other inert gas carrier and reacted with a fatty acid ester, preferably a triglyceride, to form the corresponding methyl or lower alkyl fatty acid ester.
Claims31
A continuous process for purifying an inert gas stream containing a lower alkyl alcohol comprising:
- (1) intimately mixing an inert gas containing a lower alkyl alcohol with a fatty source at a temperature of between about 20.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C., at a pressure of from about 14 to about 150 psia in the presence of a catalyst;
- and
- (2) recovering the methyl esters and the purified inert gas stream.
A continuous process for purifying an inert gas stream containing a lower alcohol comprising:
- (1) intimately mixing an inert gas containing a lower alkyl alcohol with a fatty acid source at a temperature of between about 20.degree. C. and to about 100.degree. C. at a pressure of from about 14 to 150 psia in the presence of a catalyst wherein the reaction is carried out in a column selected from a group consisting of packed columns, tray columns, perforated disk columns, bubble columns and agitated columns;
- and
- (2) recovering the methyl esters and the purified inert gas stream.
A continuous process for purifying an inert gas stream containing a lower alkyl alcohol comprising the steps of:
- (1) intimately mixing an inert gas containing a lower alkyl alcohol with a fatty acid source;
- (2) reacting the fatty acid source with the lower alkyl alcohol at a temperature of between about 20.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C., at a pressure of from about 14 to about 150 psia, and in the presence of a catalyst, to form a lower alkyl ester;
- (3) recovering the lower alkyl ester;
- and
- (4) recovering the purified inert gas stream.
A continuous process for preparing lower all esters comprising the steps of:
- (1) reacting a fatty acid source with an intimate mixture of an inert gas and a lower alkyl alcohol at a temperature of from about 20.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C., at a pressure of from about 14 psia to about 150 psia and in the presence of a catalyst to form a lower alkyl ester;
- and
- (2) recovering the lower alkyl ester.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.