GB891858A - Improvements in or relating to oil-soluble soaps of polyvalent metals - Google Patents

Abstract

In the preparation of oil-soluble soaps of polyvalent metals and organic aliphatic or cycloaliphatic carboxylic acids containing more than 6 carbon atoms, by reacting a finely powdered oxide or hydroxide of the metal with the acid, the process is catalysed by the presence of a salt derived from the metal and an aliphatic carboxylic acid containing less than 4 carbon atoms in the molecule and which may be formed in situ. Soaps derived from linseed oil fatty acids, oleic, stearic, naphthenic, pelargonic, 3,5,5-trimethyl-hexanoic, 2-ethyl hexanoic acids, and acids obtained by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and branched-chain acids from oxo-alcohols, and metals such as marium, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury and zinc are referred to, and the acids containing less than 4 carbon atoms are selected from acetic, propionic, lactic or formic acids. In examples, the aliphatic carboxylic acid, e.g. acetic or propionic, and the metal oxide or hydronide, e.g. litharge, in solution in an organic solvent or water form the intermediate soap to which the acid containing more than 6 carbon atoms, e.g. naphthenic, and ethylhexanoic acids in white spirit or xylene is added and the product separated; or alternatively the higher acid, e.g. naphthenic or saturated iso-carboxylic acids, is mixed with the metal compound, e.g. litharge, cobalt hydroxide, and calcium or mercuric oxides, in a solvent such as white spirit, and acetic or formic acid added with or before the metal compound, the lower acids and water are then distilled off. Specification 451,735 is referred to.