Patent GB-352537-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in the manufacture and production of alcohols
IPC: C07C29/141
Filed: 1930-04-11
Abstract: Products consisting mainly of higher aliphatic alcohols are obtained by heating the products resulting from the destructive oxidation of difficulty volatile hydrocarbons in the liquid state with gaseous oxidants containing free oxygen, or a fraction of such oxidation products, in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst at a pressure greater than atmospheric. The hydrogenation is carried out at temperatures of 100-250 DEG  C. and pressures of 10-300 atmospheres.  The separation of the higher alcohols from the crude products may be effected by the usual methods such as distillation, esterification or use of selective solvents.  Applications of the products include the preparation of ointments, esters, and sulphonation products for use as cleansing, wetting and emulsifying agents.  According to examples (1) the neutral oxygen-containing constituents separated from an oxidation product obtained by treating hard paraffin wax with air at 160 DEG  C. is treated with hydrogen in a stirring autoclave at 200 DEG  C. and 30 atmospheres pressure in the presence of finely divided nickel deposited on diatromaceous earth.  The catalyst is filtered off and the product purified, for example, by steam distillation; (2) an oxidation product containing free carboxylic acids obtained by blowing paraffin oil at 160 DEG  C, with air in presence of menganese naphthenate is treated with hydrogen at 180 DEG  C. and 50 atmospheres pressure in presence of metal deposited on kieselguhr.  The catalyst is filtered off and the last traces thereof are washed out of the products with dilute sulphuric acid. The saponifiable constituents are then saponified with caustic soda and separated leaving a mixture of higher alcohols; (3) an oxidation product similar to that used in example (1) is hydrogenated with hydrogen and finely divided cobalt, and then further treated as in example (2), and (4) an oxidation product of soft paraffin wax from which free carboxylic acids have been separated by means of caustic soda solution is treated with hydrogen and a nickel catalyst at 200 DEG  C. and 60 atmospheres pressure, and the product is purified as in example (2).ALSO:Products consisting mainly of higher aliphatic alcohols are obtained by heating the products resulting from the destructive oxidation of difficulty volatile hydrocarbons in the liquid state with gaseous oxidants containing free oxygen, or a fraction of such oxidation products, in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst at a pressure greater than atmospheric. The hydrogenation is carried out at temperatures of 100-250 DEG  C. and pressures of 10-300 atmospheres. The separation of the higher alcohols from the crude products may be effected by the usual methods such as distillation, esterification, or use of selective solvents.  Applications of the products include the preparation of ointments, esters, and sulphonation products for use as cleansing, wetting, and emulsifying agents.  According to examples, (1) the neutral oxygen-containing constituents separated from an oxidation product obtained by treating hard paraffin wax with air at 160 DEG  C. is treated with hydrogen in a stirring autoclave at 200 DEG  C. and 30 atmospheres pressure in the presence of finely-divided nickel deposited on diatomaceous earth.  The catalyst is filtered off and the product purified, for example, by steam distillation.  (2) An oxidation product containing free carboxylic acids obtained by blowing paraffin oil at 160 DEG  C. with air in the presence of manganese naphthenate is treated with hydrogen at 180 DEG C. and 50 atmospheres pressure in presence of nickel deposited on kieselguhr.  The catalyst is filtered off and the last traces thereof are washed out of the products with dilute sulphuric acid.  The saponifiable constituents are then saponified with caustic soda and separated, leaving a mixture of higher alcohols.  (3) An oxidation product similar to that used in example (1) is hydrogenated with hydrogen and finely-divided cobalt, and then further treated as in example (2), and (4) an oxidation product of soft paraffin wax from which free carboxylic acids have been separated by means of caustic soda solution is treated with hydrogen and a nickel catalyst at 200 DEG  C. and 60 atmospheres pressure, and the product is purified as in example (2).ALSO:Products consisting mainly of higher aliphatic alcohols obtained by heating the products resulting from the destructive oxidation of difficulty volatile hydrocarbons in the liquid state with gaseous oxidants containing free oxygen, or a fraction of such oxidation products, in the presence of hydrogen and a hydrogenation catalyst at pressures greater than atmospheric are stated to be useful for the production of salves and ointments.