Patent ID: 7408087

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a mixture of fatty alcohols having an iodine number in the range from 65 to 85 of the formula (I) R 1 OH (I) wherein R 1 is a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched radical having from 14 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein the process comprises the steps of: (a) fractionating coconut and/or palm nut fatty acid methyl esters to produce a methyl ester fraction comprised substantially of C 18 -C 18 portions, (b) fractionating the C 16 -C 18 fatty acid methyl ester fraction of step (a) to produce a distillate comprised of predominantly saturated methyl esters and a bottom fraction comprised of substantially unsaturated methyl esters, (c) hydrogenating the bottom fraction to give the corresponding alcohols under conditions such that the carbon-carbon double bonds remain intact.