Acid composition for processing fatty acids
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a composition comprising: at least one alkane-sulphonic acid R—SO 3 H wherein R represents a saturated, linear or branched, hydrocarbon chain comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, which can or cannot be substituted by at least one halogen atom, at least one aryl-sulphonic acid; and optionally at least one solvent, of which the proportions are as defined in the description. The invention also relates to the use of composition in a fatty acid esterification method.
1. A catalytic composition comprising:
at least one alkane-sulphonic acid of formula R—SO 3 H wherein R represents a saturated, linear or branched, hydrocarbon chain comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, which can or cannot be substituted by at least one halogen atom;
at least one aryl sulphonic acid;
and at least one solvent;
wherein:
the proportion by weight of alkane-sulphonic acid in relation to the total weight of the alkane-sulphonic acid and aryl-sulphonic acid is comprised between 5% and 85%
the proportion by weight of aryl-sulphonic acid in relation to the total weight of alkane-sulphonic acid and aryl-sulphonic acid is comprised between 15% and 95%.
2. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is chosen among water, alcohol and ether, alone or in combination.
3. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is water or a C 1 to C 3 alcohol, alone or in combination.
4. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is water or methanol, alone or in combination.
5. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the proportion by weight in solvent relative to the total weight of the composition is comprised within a range of from 0% to 50%, preferably from 5% to 35%.
6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the alkane-sulphonic acid is chosen from methane-sulphonic acid, ethane-sulphonic acid, n-propane-sulphonic acid, iso-propane sulphonic acid, n-butanesulphonic acid, iso-butane-sulphonic acid, sec-butane sulphonic acid, tert-butane sulphonic acid, trifluoro methane-sulphonic acid, and mixtures of two or more of them in any proportions.
7. The composition according to claim 1 in which the alkane-sulphonic acid is methane-sulphonic acid.
8. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the aryl-sulphonic acid is para-toluene sulphonic acid.
9. The composition according to claim 1 comprising at least one corrosion inhibitor.
10. The composition according to claim 1 comprising at least one fragrance or one odorising agent, alone or in combination.
11. In a catalytic method for manufacturing fatty acid esters wherein the improvement comprises the composition according to claim 1 as an esterification catalyst.
12. A method for manufacturing fatty acid esters comprising the following steps:
a/ introducing at least one fatty acid into a reactor;
b/ adding at least one alcohol;
c/ heating the reaction medium;
d/ introducing a composition according to claim 1 as a catalyst;
e/ optionally, removing the water formed during the esterification reaction; and
f/ recovering the fatty acid esters,
with step d being optionally performed at the same time as step a and/or step b, preferably at the same time as steps a and/or b.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the catalyst/fatty acid molar ratio is comprised between 0.001 and 0.5 and particularly between 0.01 and 0.2.
14. The composition of claim 1 wherein the proportion by weight of alkane-sulphonic acid in relation to the total weight of the alkane-sulphonic acid and aryl-sulphonic acid is comprised between 8% and 65% and the proportion by weight of aryl-sulphonic acid in relation to the total weight of alkane-sulphonic acid and aryl-sulphonic acid is comprised between 35% and 92%.