Fatty Alcohol – Ester Routes
Consumption Figures The consumption figures vary with the feedstock. The figures given below provide a rough guideline and are based on the production of 1000 kg C 12/14 distilled fatty alcohol from PKO:
Wax Ester Route Fatty acid Catalyst Hydrogen (Purityy 99.9 Vol. %) (Purit Cooling water Steam (netto consumpt.) Electric power Nitrogen Fuel
1099 kg < 1 kg 230 m3 (STP) 55 m3 30 kg 165 kWh 10 m3 (STP) 1 5 0 0 MJ
Methyl Ester Route Methyl ester Catalyst Hydrogen (Purityy 99.9 Vol. %) (Purit Cooling water Steam (netto consumpt.) Electric power Nitrogen Fuel
1099 kg < 1 kg 230 m3 (STP) 85 m3 30 kg 165 kWh – 1 0 0 0 MJ
Quality of final Fatty Alcohols Acid value Saponification value Iodine value Color Carbonyl value HC Moisture Pure cuts
< 0.02 < 0 .2 < 0 .0 5 < 5 APHA < 3ppm < 0 .3 % < 0 .0 5 % > 99 % purity
Wax Ester Hydrogenatio Hydrogenation, n, VVF-India
Fatty Al Fatty Alcoh cohol ol Fi Fixe xed-B d-Bed ed Est Ester er Ro Rout ute e Low Lo w Co Cost st,, fl flex exib ible le Pr Prod oduc uctt Mi Mix, x, proven prov en Tech Technol nology ogy Natural Oil and Fats as Feedstocks Fatty-alcohol-based surfactants have gained growing significance in the detergent market due to their excellent washing properties and superior biodegradability. Nowadays, fatty alcohols derived from renewable resources are an important basestock for the production of cationic, anionic and nonionic surfactants such us fatty alcohol sulfates, ether sulfates, ethoxilates and alkyl polyglucosides. Today, natural oils with a high content of fatty acids in the detergent range (chain lengths C12/14) are used. Coconut oil or palm kernel oil are the preferred feed stocks.
Fatty Acid
Oil / Fat
Glycerin Recovery
Splitting
Distillation/ Fractionation
Glycerin
Fatty Acid Fractions
Fatty Acid Esterification
Water
Wax Ester Fatty Alcohol Recycle
Fixed Bed Hydrogenation
Distillation/ Fractionation
Distilled or Fractionated Fatty Alcohols
Wax Ester Route
Hydrogen
Hydrogenation Reactor
Start Heater
Hot Separator
Cold Separator
CW
Stripper
CW
HT Oil Steam
Steam
Fatty Alcohol Production via Methyl Ester Fatty Acid Methyl Ester
Hydrogen
Crude Fatty Alcohol
Crude Methanol
Fatty Alkohol Fixed-Bed Methyl Ester Route (2nd Generation) Since the late nineteen fifties, Lurgi has built fatty alcohol plants operating on our proprietary Acid Route applying the advanced slurry process (1st generation). Until now this process has been the only one for direct hydrogenation of fatty acid to fatty alcohol without prior esterification. However, the continuous addition of fresh catalyst and the removal of spent catalyst required a complex catalyst handling system. The Methyl Ester Route was developed by Lurgi in the late nineteen eighties to produce both unsaturated and saturated fatty alcohol. This process used an oil transesterification with methanol and fed the corresponding methyl ester to a fixed-bed reactor. Methanol formed by hydrogenation requires an additional recovery process. The short chain fraction (C6/10) as well C12/14 and the C16/18 fractions can be obtained as fatty alcohols or as methyl esters.
Methyl Ester (Biodiesel)
Oil / Fat
Deacidifaction Make-up Methanol
Transesterification Distillation/ Fractionation
Fatty Acid Distillates
Glycerin Recovery
Glycerin
Methyl Ester Fractions
Methyl Ester Methanol Recovery
Fixed Bed Hydrogenation
Distillation/ Fractionation
Distilled or Fractionated Fatty Alcohols
Metyhl Ester Route
Hydrogen
Wax Ester Reactor
Hydrogenation Reactor
Fractionation and Distillation
CW
HT Oil
Residue
Fatty Acid
Water
Hydrogen
Fatty Alcohol Production via Wax Ester
Distilled or Fractionated Fatty Alcohol
Fatty Alkohol Fixed-Bed Wax Ester Route (3rd Generation) Lurgi’s 3rd generation fatty alcohol technology has been proven and in commercial operation since 2004. The combination of the advantages of the two previous routes, the slurry route and the fixed-bed Methyl Ester Route, has led to the Wax Ester Route. In a first step, fatty acids aci ds ar are e pr prod oduc uced ed fr from om oi oill an and d fa fatt by th the e we wellll-k -kno nown wn fa fatt splilitt sp ttin ing g pr proce ocess ss.. Th The e fa fatt ttyy ac acid idss ar are e di divid vided ed in into to a cu cutt to be mark ma rket eted ed an and d a cu cutt fo forr pr prod oduc ucin ing g fa fatt ttyy al alco coho hol. l. Th The e sh shor ortt chain fracti fraction on as well the the C16/18 fraction can be economically sepa se para rate ted d as fa fatt ttyy ac acid id,, or can be hyd hydro roge gena nate ted d to fa fatt ttyy alcohols. On this route only the fatty acid fraction which which is need ne eded ed as fat atty ty al alco coho holl is to be fed to the wa waxx es este terr process. proces s. The hydrog hydrogenatio enation n of the wax ester ester to fatty alcohol alcohol takes place in a fixed-bed and liquid-phase trickle reactor which allows low reaction temperature, low catalyst consumption sumpt ion and simple plant plant operation. operation. This most advanced technology reduces investment, operating and maintenance costt con cos consid sidera erably bly.. The cat cataly alyst st eit either her as chr chrome ome or chr chrome ome-free fre e ver versio sion n is fre freely ely availa available ble on the the market. market.
General Process Description The process for the production of fatty alcohol covers the preparation of methyl ester or wax ester and subsequent hydrogenation of the ester to form fatty alcohol. The ester is charged to the hydrogenation reactor, together with hydrogen. In the fixed-bed reactor, the liquid trickles down dow n thr throu ough gh th the e cat cataly alyst st pac packin king, g, for formi ming ng fa fatt ttyy alc alcoh ohols ols in th the e pr proc oces ess. s. Th The e re reac acto torr di disc scha harg rge e pr prod oduc uctt is co cool oled ed and an d se sepa para rate ted d in into to re recy cycl cled ed hy hydr drog ogen en an and d li liqu quid id cr crud ude e fatt fa ttyy al alco coho hol. l. In th the e fa fatt ttyy al alco coho holl fr frac acti tion onat atio ion n an and d di dist stililla la-tion ti on st stag ages es,, di dist stililled led fa fatt ttyy al alcoh cohol olss ar are e ob obta tain ined ed as final products. Depending on the product requirements, a carbonyl conversion stage may be added to attain an extremely low carbonyl level. The final products may be defined cuts, e.g. C 6/10, C12/14, C16/18 or C12/18 or pure individual cuts like C 12, C14, C16, C18.
Lurgi is a lead Lurgi leading ing tech technolo nology gy com company pany ope operatin rating g world worldwide wide in the fields of process process engineering and plant contracting. The strength strength of Lurgi Lurgi lies in innovative innovative technolog technologies ies of the future focusing on customized solutions for growth markets. The technological leadership is based on proprietary technologies and exclusively licensed technologies in the areas gas-to-c gasto-chemi hemical cal product productss via synthetic synthetic gas gas or meth methano anoll and synthetic fuels, petroche petrochemicals, micals, refinery refinery technology and polymer industry as well as renewable resources/food. Lurgi is a member of the Air Liquide Group.
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