Patent ID: 8263794

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of C18:1-containing unsaturated fatty acid alkyl esters or glycerides, the process comprising: partially hydrogenating polyunsaturated fatty acid esters or glycerides comprising at least 65 mole-% of C18:2 and C18:3, based on the total C18 content, in a two-phase aqueous/organic system, in the presence of a water-soluble catalyst consisting of a metal selected from the group consisting of rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, and mixtures thereof, and trisulfonated triphenylphosphine (TPPTS) as a hydrophilic ligand, wherein the resulting partial hydrogenation product comprises about 30 to about 80 mole-% of C18:1-containing unsaturated fatty acid alkyl esters or glycerides, and wherein the fraction containing the C18:1 unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester or glyceride is composed of 50 mol % or more cis-C18:1 components.