Natural Detergent

7/31/2019 Natural Detergent

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Natural Detergent Alcohols



Our Natural Detergent Alcohol (NDA) process takes naturally derived fatty acids

and produces fatty alcohols from intermediate methyl esters. The methyl fatty

esters can be obtained by methanolysis (trans-esterification) of the natural oil

with methanol or derived by the esterification of the fatty acid. We use a

proprietary solid esterification catalyst contained within a novel reactive

distillation column to convert the fatty acid to the methyl fatty ester intermediate.

Our NDA process has been licensed to 6 companies for the production of

various combinations of different chain lengths of alcohol, including light

C8/C10, mid cut C12/C14 and long chain C16/C18 with production capacities

ranging from 30 to 120 thousand tons per annum. Our licensed plants now

account for 430,000 MTPA of natural fatty alcohol capacity representing nearly

20% of the total world fatty alcohol (synthetic and natural) demand.

A schematic flowsheet of the natural detergent alcohols process is shown below.

Fatty acids (typically C12 to C16 acids) derived from palm kernel or coconut

oils are first esterified with methanol to give their equivalent methyl esters.

The process is extremely efficient and simple to operate and the resulting esters

can be fed directly to hydrogenation without further handling.

This low pressure, vapour phase, fixed bed hydrogenation technology converts

the methyl fatty ester to fatty alcohol. Vapour phase reactions are intrinsically anideal reaction system and generate few by-products thus yielding very high

process efficiency in conjunction with high product quality. Crude product is

refined to give market quality products, whilst recovered methanol, intermediates

and by-products are recycled for re-use in the process or used as fuel.

Natural Detergent Alcohols

The Process

Water

FattyAcids

Methanol

Recycle

Deter gentAlcoholsProduct

Methanol Hydrogen Intermediate

Recycle

EsterificationEster

Hydrogenation Refining



The use of methyl esters is the most widely practiced route to convert fatty acids to alcohols. The Davy reactive

distillation system eliminates many problems associated with traditional esterification processes and minimises

recycle of high value fatty alcohol. There are no reaction by-products and no catalyst removal or neutralisation

requirements, so esters can be fed directly to hydrogenation without a processing loss. Due to relatively mild

vapour phase hydrogenation conditions with a highly selective and active non-chromium catalyst, and a proprietary

design of the reaction system, the process is highly efficient with very little by-product formation.

This natural detergent alcohol process has virtually no effluents. Small by-product streams are recycled and

consumed within the plant using catalysts that are reprocessed, thereby protecting the local environment.

Our NDA process can be used to process short chain (C8, C10), medium chain (C12, C14) and long chain (C16,

C18) fatty acids to their equivalent alcohols. We are also able to offer a number of process technologies for the

hardening of fats and oils.

Traditionally, the balance between natural and synthetic options for

fatty alcohols production has been in the region of 60/40 to 40/60,

swaying over the years on the basic commodity costs of the raw

natural oils and the ethylene feed costs respectively. As crude oil prices

are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future, coupled with

increasing availability of natural oil, oleochemical companies have

seized the current opportunity to add value by investing in new natural

fatty alcohol capacity - all of which will use our cost effective process.

Detergent alcohols produced with the Davy Process Technology NDA

process are used by the detergent industry as ethoxolates and

sulphonates to produce laundry products, detergents and shampoos.

Process Advantages and Options

Product Uses

‘This vapour phase process has been

licensed around the world with a total

installed capacity of 430,000

tonnes per year of alcohols’.



For further details please contact:

Andy HilesDavy Process Technology20 Eastbourne TerraceLondon W2 6LE

UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 7957 3636Fax: +44 (0)20 7957 3922Mail: [email protected]: www.davyprotech.com

Davy Process Technology is a Johnson Matthey company.

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Natural Detergent