Patent ID: 7812186

Claim:
Process for the production of saturated carboxylic acids and their derivatives, comprising the steps of (a) reacting a derivative of an unsaturated fatty acid with an oxidizing compound in the presence of a catalyst capable of catalysing the reaction of oxidation of the double olefinic bond of the derivative of the unsaturated fatty acid so as to obtain as intermediate product of reaction a vicinal diol; and (b) reacting said intermediate compound with oxygen, or a compound containing oxygen, in the presence of a catalyst capable of catalysing the reaction of oxidation of the hydroxyl groups of the vicinal diol to carboxylic groups, said process being characterized in that both of the steps (a) and (b) are carried out in the absence of added organic solvent and in that the water/diol ratio in the reaction of step (b) is less than 1:1.