FATTY METHYL-ESTER HYDROGENATION TO FATTY ALCOHOL .1. CORRELATION BETWEEN CATALYST PROPERTIES AND ACTIVITY SELECTIVITY

Fatty alcohols, derived from natural sources, are commercially produce d by hydrogenation of fatty acids or methyl esters in slurry-phase or fixed-bed reactors. One slurry-phase hydrogenation of methyl ester pro cess flows methyl esters and powdered copper chromite catalyst into tu bular reactors under high hydrogen pressure and elevated temperature. In the present investigation, slurry-phase hydrogenations of C-12 meth yl ester were carried out in semi-batch reactions at nonoptimal condit ions (i.e., low hydrogen pressure and elevated temperature). These con ditions were used to accentuate the host of side reactions that occur during the hydrogenation. Some 14 side reaction routes are outlined. A s an extension of this study, copper chromite catalyst was produced un der a number of varying calcination temperatures. Differences in catal ytic activity and selectivity were determined by closely following sid e 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 si de reactions may well provide an additional tool for the optimized des ign of hydrogenation catalysts.