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Fatty methyl ester hydrogenation to fatty alcohol part I: Correlation between catalyst properties and activity/selectivity
Author(s) -
Rieke Ross D.,
Thakur Deepak S.,
Roberts Brian D.,
White Geoffrey T.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/s11746-997-0088-y
Subject(s) - catalysis , selectivity , crystallinity , chemistry , hydrogen , copper , calcination , organic chemistry , fatty acid methyl ester , fatty alcohol , alcohol , slurry , materials science , biodiesel , composite material , crystallography
Abstract Fatty alcohols, derived from natural sources, are commercially produced by hydrogenation of fatty acids or methyl esters in slurry‐phase or fixed‐bed reactors. One slurry‐phase hydrogenation of methyl ester process flows methyl esters and powdered copper chromite catalyst into tubular reactors under high hydrogen pressure and elevated temperature. In the present investigation, slurry‐phase hydrogenations of C 12 methyl ester were carried out in semi‐batch reactions at nonoptimal conditions (i.e., low hydrogen pressure and elevated temperature). These conditions were used to accentuate the host of side reactions that occur during the hydrogenation. Some 14 side reaction routes are outlined. As an extension of this study, copper chromite catalyst was produced under a number of varying calcination temperatures. Differences in catalytic activity and selectivity were determined by closely following side reaction products. Both activity and selectivity correlate well with the crystallinity of the copper chromite surface; they increase with decreasing crystallinity. The ability to follow the wide variety of side reactions may well provide an additional tool for the optimized design of hydrogenation catalysts.