Oleochemicals production

Alcohols in the range C12—Ci8 are important raw materials for the production of a key group of surfactants ethoxylates, sulfates and ethoxysulfates among others. Alcohols used in the surfactant industry are primary, linear, or with different degrees of branching, and they can be produced from either petrochemical sources (ethylene or linear paraffins) or from oleochemical products (animal fats and vegetable oils). 

Apart from being used as bio-diesel , fatty acid esters, which are obtained from fatty acids and alcohols, are becoming increasingly interesting as biodegradable replacements for mineral oils. In some application areas such as chain-saw oil, gearbox oils, hydraulic oils and lubricants for crude oil production these oleochemical products have already proved themselves. 

Sometimes the question asked is whether animal fat is absent from products such as cosmetics or from some other oleochemical product prepared from fats. This can include products such as emulsifiers. Where the product contains original triglyceride then this portion can be considered as described above, and the absence of cholesterol can be considered as good evidence that animal fats are absent. This, however, does not apply to triglycerides formed after saponification of fatty acids, followed by fractionation and recombination with glycerol. So-called fractionated coconut oil is manufactured by this process, and any similar product made from fatty acids from an animal source would not show the presence of any cholesterol. Similarly other oleochemicals formed from fatty acids derived from animal fats would also not contain cholesterol. In these cases it is often impossible to detect the presence of animal fat by testing for cholesterol. The only possibility in some cases might be to look at... 

Fatty acids with trans or non-methylene-interrupted unsaturation occur naturally or are formed during processing for example, vaccenic acid (18 1 Hr) and the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) rumenic acid (18 2 9tllc) are found in dairy fats. Hydroxy, epoxy, cyclopropane, cyclopropene acetylenic, and methyl branched fatty acids are known, but only ricinoleic acid (12(/f)-hydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid) (2) from castor oil is used for oleochemical production. OUs containing vernolic acid (12(5),13(/ )-epoxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid) (3) have potential for industrial use. 

The fatty acid alkyl chain is susceptible to oxidation both at double bonds and adjacent allylic carbons. Eree-radical and photooxidation at aUylic carbons are responsible for deterioration of unsaturated oils and fats, resulting in rancid flavors and reduced nutritional quality, but they are also used deliberately to polymerize drying oils. Oxidation of double bonds is used in oleochemical production either to cleave the alkyl chain or to introduce additional functionality along the chain. Enzyme catalyzed oxidation is the initial step in the production of eicosanoids and jasmonates (biologically active metabolites in animals and plants respectively) but is not discussed further here. 

Coconut oil is one of the most important raw materials for the oleochemical industry. The whole range of its fatty acid composition is used as the starting material for a wide variety of oleochemical products. Fatty acids are the building blocks that, with proper selection and application of oleochemistry, are converted to higher valued products. 

Fats and oils are renewable products of nature. One can aptly call them oil from the sun where the sun s energy is biochemically converted to valuable oleochemicals via oleochemistry. Natural oleochemicals derived from natural fats and oils by splitting or tran -esterification, such as fatty acids, methyl esters, and glycerine are termed basic oleochemicals. Fatty alcohols and fatty amines may also be counted as basic oleochemicals, because of their importance in the manufacture of derivatives (8). Further processing of the basic oleochemicals by different routes, such as esterification, ethoxylation, sulfation, and amidation (Figure 1), produces other oleochemical products, which are termed oleochemical derivatives. 

The loop reactor concept can be regarded as being proven technology, Kvaemer claims e.g. that more than 200 units have been sold in the field of oleochemicals production. Also a considerable number of publications have been dedicated to this particular reactor concept.4 12... 

Generally, test methods that should be observed are prescribed in standards such as ASTM D6751 or EN14214. However, in many cases, other test methods, usually developed by professional organizations, may be simpler, less expensive, and more suitable for process development. For example, since biodiesel is an oleochemical product, test methods developed by organizations, such as the American Oil Chemists Society (AOCS), are often well-suited, while ASTM methods were often developed specifically for petrodiesel. 

Synthesis of New Oleochemicals Products of Friedel-Crafts Reactions of Unsaturated Fatty Compounds... 

In the modern 00-rape the > C 20 fatty acids have been reduced to trace fractions in favour of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids, resulting in a fatty acids spectrum similar to olive oil. Characteristics of 00-rape are the most appropriate to fulfil the European biodiesel standards. As a result, the EU-27 are now the by far largest rapeseed oil consumers, and the astounding growth in European demand has been driven almost exclusively by the expansion of the biofuels sector over recent years. Fifty percent of European rapeseed production in 2005 has been turned into biodiesel, 37% has been used for human consumption, 7% for oleochemical products and lubricants 6% has been exported. In 2007 the rape oil demand for biofuels has accounted for 60% of rape oil consumption. Rape-based biofuels include biodiesel and direct use as refined oil. 

Current oilseed biorefineries (see Figure 17.4) mainly produce food and feed ingredients, and biodiesel and oleochemical products from oilseeds, such as rape, sunflower and soybean. 

The hard palm midfraction (PMF) may be used either on its own or in admixture with StOSt fractions from shea butter or sal fat to produce cocoa butter equivalents such as Coberine, which is highly compatible with cocoa butter [54]. At one time the hard stearin was of little use and tended to end up as a feedstock for soap manufacture. However, it has become an important starting material for oleochemical production and has also found use in margarine manufacture, where, after further modification, its zero-trans status makes it useflil for replacing hydrogenated oils. 

Gunstone, F. D. (2001) Basic oleochemical products and new industrial oils, in Oleochemical Manufacture and Applications (eds F. D. Gunstone and R. J. Hamilton), Sheffield Academic Press. 

Heidbreder, A., Hofer, R., Grutzmacher, R., Westfechtel, A., Blewett, C.W., 1999. Oleochemical products as building blocks for polymers. Fett/Upid 101,418-424. 

Koutinas, A.A., Chatzifragkou, A., Kopsahelis, N., Papanikolaou, S., Kookos, I.K., 2014. Design and techno-economic evaluation of microbial oil production as a renewable resource for biodiesel and oleochemical production. Fuel 116, 566—577. 

A.Heidbrecher et al. Oleochemical Products as Building Blocks for Polymers Fett/Lipid 101, 418 (1999)... 

Oleochemicals. Products derived from vegetable oils and similar raw materials. 

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