US1189817A

US1189817A - Process of hydrogenating unsaturated fatty material.

Info

Publication number: US1189817A
Application number: US82443914A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Curtis Chevalier Hoehn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-03-13
Filing date: 1914-03-13
Publication date: 1916-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1933-07-04

Description

J. C. C. HOEHN.

PROCESS OF HYDROGENATING UNSATURATED FATTY MATERiAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I3. 914.

1,189 817. Patented July 1, 1916.

314 van C01 Wit new J H0871;

UNITED S PA OCE;

JOHN CURTIS CHEIALIER H'OEHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF HYDROGENATING UNSATURATED FATTY MATERIAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application flled March 13,1914. Serial No. 824,439.

To all whom it may c'oncer'it:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. C. HOEHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Processes of Hydrogenating Unsaturated Fatty Material, of

which the following is a specificati'ion.

My invention relates to improvements in processes of hydrogenating unsaturated fatty material, such as fatty acids or their glycerids, 'to convert the same into corresponding saturated compounds.

An important'object ofth invention is to provide .a process of the above mentioned character, whereby the hydrogen will be absorbed by the fatty material, in a quick and thorough nianner, without the aid of large, e'xpensivefor complicated apparatus.

In my copending application for process of and apparatus for hydrogenation of oils, Serial 'No. 782,491, filed August. 1, 1913, I disclosed a process ofhydrogenating un saturated fatty material, which consisted generally in causing fatty material, in the for m of a film with a finely dividedcatalytic agent suspended therewith, to flow or travel over an inactive support, in the presence of an atmosphere contz iining'hydrogen. By causing the fatty material to travel in the form of a film the exposed area of the same was increased. It was not known, as

far as I am aware, that hydrogen would be readily absorbed bythe fatty material lla\'- ing a finely divided catalytic agent in suspension therein when in the form of a body or mass, having a substantial depth, witle out the employment of violent agitation.

My prior process was also devised to eliminate violent agitationi of the fatty material or oil, which is employed to increase the area. of the fatty material or oil exposed to the action of the'hydrogen. Violent agita tion of the fatty material or il. however, possesses marked disadvantages. cluefamong presence of suitable heat and pressure. The

Patented July 4, 1916.

fatty material or oil is held within an inactive receptacleand gently flows or-is. gently agitated or stirred therein, sulliciently to thoroughly mix the saturated fatty material or oil with the unsaturated material or oil contained therein.- Thisprocess is based' upon the well known fact that fatty material or oil willabsorb the hydroge n in an inverse ratio to the degree of saturation of the same by the hydrogen. Hence, If the mass or body of the fatty material has a substantial depth, say from one to three inches, and the fatty material is gently agitated,,the hydrogen will be quickly and thoroughly absorbed by the fatty material oroil, the hydrogen penetrating the depth of the mass, which is aided by the stirring of the same. In my improved process ,hesame surface or area of the fatty material or oil is exposed to the action of the hydrogen, as when the" same is in the form of a film, but by the mass .of fatty material having a substantial depth, the hydrogen continues to be'absorbed more rapidly and for a much longer time,

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and'i'n which like numerals are employed "to designate: like parts flll'fillgllOllll the same, Figure 1. is a partly diagrammatic central longitudinal sectional view through apparatus within which my process may be advantageously practised. and Fig. 2 is a similar view'of a slightly dill'erent form of such apparatus.

In the drawings. wherein for the purpose of illustrations is shown preferred embodinu-nts of apparatuses for practising myproress. the numeral 5 (Fig. 1) designates an out r shell. preferably horizontall} arranged and provided' with a removable top or cover 6. This shell is preferably air tight and capable of withstanding pressure above. atmospheric pressure. Connected with the eorer G is a hydrogen inlet pipe 7, having a cut oil valve 8. while a hydrogen outlet pipe provided with a cut off valve 10. is connected with the outer shell 5, near the bottom thereof. \rranged within the outer shell are preferably horizontally arranged oil holding pans ll, the upper portions of which are entirely open, said pans having a substantial depth. as shown. The fatty material or oil 'to be treated is held within these pans. whereby a relatively large area or upper surface of the oil is exposed to the atmosphere containing hydrogen within the shell 5, said oil not being in the form of a film, but in the form of a lake or mass,

the purpose ofmixing the saturated portion of the oil with the unsaturated poi-hon thereof, such stirring or agitating not amounting to vi'o'lentagitation whereby hy-- drogen bubbles will form 'within or through -the fatty material or oil; To accomplish The pipe 18 extends downwardly and disthis,'the oil is originally fed, (Fig. 1) into the lowermost pan 11 through a pipe 12, provided with a'cut off valve 13. Connected with the opposite end of the lowermost pan ,is a pipe 14:, leading into the upper portion thereof and spaced a substantial distance from the bottom-of this pan. The oil within the lowermost pan is withdrawn through the pipe-14, and since this pipe leads into the upper portion of the pan it is obvious that the upper or saturated portion of the oil will be removed therefrom, a predetermined depth of the oil always remaining within the-pan.- The pipe 14' is connected with the corresponding end of the next upper pa n 11, adjacent the bottom thereof, discharging the oil therein at a point spaced a substantial distance below theexposed surface of the oil contained within the intermediate pan 11. 1"e oil is circulatedupwardly through tlie pipe by'a pump 1'5,

of any we'll known or preferred type, connected in the pipe 1 4,-as shown. In a simi, lar manner, a pipe 16' connected with the opposite end of the intermediate pan, with draws oil from the upper portion thereof, and. discharges the same into the bottom of the uppermost pan 11 at a point spaced a substantial distance from the upperexposed surface of the oil. A pump 17 is connected in the pipe 16, to cause the ,oilto travel upwardly therein. The oil in the uppermost pan 11 discharges from the opposite end of the pan through'a depending pipe 18, connected with the pan 11 near the upper portion thereof, whereby the oilis withdrawn from the upper exposed surface of the oil.

charges the oil into one end of the lowermost pans 11, preferably below the exposed urface of the oil therein. The saturated oil may be withdrawn from each of the pans through outlet 'means' 19, preferably arranged adjacent the bottom of each pan. The oil is preferably heated during the treatment, which inay be accomplished by steam heating coils 20 preferably horizontally arranged within the main shell and disposed below and adjacent the pans 11.

in the forin of apparatus shown in Fig. 2, thenunural ll designates an air tight preferably horizontal outer shell. provided with hydr gen inlet and outlet 23 and 23. Ar-

ranged'preferably horizontally within the outer shell 21 in spacedsuperposed relation, are pans 24, identical with the pans 11. Steam heating coils 25 are employed. The saturated oilmay be withdrawn from each of the pans 24 through outlet means 2G. The oil to be treated is fed through an up per inlet pipe 27,- discharging into the upper portion of one end of the uppermost, pan 21,1as shown. The oil" is withdrawn from the opposite end of the uppermost pan through a downwardly extending pipe 28,. leading into the-upper portion of the uppermost pan, wherebythe oil at the upper ex-' posed surface of 'the mass will pass through the pipe 28.- This pipe is provided with cut of? valve 29. The lower end of-the pipe 28 passes into one end of the intermediate pan 21, adjacent the bottom thereof, where by oilis supplied into the pan. -24 at a substantial distance fromthe upper exposed surface of the oil therein; Connected with is :1 depending pipe30, leading into such pan adjacent its upper portion for withdrawing oil from the upper exposed surface thereof, such pipe discharging into one end of the lowermost pan 24, 'to feed theoih the opposite end of the intermediate pan 24 therein at a point spaced a substantial dis ta'n'ce from the upperexposed surface of'the oil therein. The pipe 30 isprovided with a cut oflvalve 31, as showna Areturn pipe .32;

is connected with vthe opposite epdiof the lowermostpan 24, and l'eads intofthe upper portion thereof towi-thdraw oil fromthe upper exposed surface of the oil, such pipe 32 discl'iarging the oil: into oneend of the uppermost pan 24-, below the upper exposed surface of the oil therein; A pump'flil of any well known or preferred type, is connected in the pipe 32 and. serves to cause the oil, to travelupwardly through this pipe.

In the nacticc of my process, in connection' with the fo'rnrof apparatus shown in Fig. 1, th hydrogcn supply being originally cutoff, the oil'hax'in g a finely divided (atalytic agent mixedtherewith is fed through pipe 12 into the lowermost pan 11. and withdrawn therefrom by vthe pumps 15 and 17, until all of the pans are filled to a. prcdeten mined depth, at whicht-ime oil from the uppern|ost pair will begin=to return through pipe 18 into the lowermost pan. The supply of oil is then cut off, while, pumps 15 and 17 are allowed torontinue to operate. These pumps cause a gentle stirring or agitating of the oil in each pan. such oil being withdrawn from t-lu-.iippcr exposed surface of the mass in each. pan. and fed into the successive pan adjacent the bottom thereof at a point spaced a 1 ubstantial distance from the upper exposed surfare of the mass. In this manm-ra portion of the oil is kept in continuous ilW'HltliiOlL the same being withdrawn from the surfacioflhc oil in the pan the process are the and returned to the same adjacent the bottom thero In this form of apparatus, the oil is force to travel upwardly through the pipes 14 and 16, from oneolower pan to the successive -.pper pan. The steam heating coils 20 are operated to maintain the temperature in'the shell 5 at the desired degree, which is preferably from 150 to 160" (3., although this temperature may be widely varied. The hydrogen may now be supplied into the shell 5. A pressure of approximately 100 pounds to the square inch is preferably maintained within the shell during the operation of the process, but such pressure may be widely varied, as may be found advantageous. It is thus seen that the masses or lakes of oil having a subtsantial depth, with the finely divided catalytic agent mixed or suspended therein, is subjected to the action of the hydrogen, while the same is being gently stirred or agitated to thoroughly mix the saturated portion of the oil with the unsaturated ortion, whereby the hydrogen will be rearily absorbed by the oil having a large exposed area and will pgnetrate the depth of the masses of oil to readily absorbed by the unsaturated portion thereof. In this manner the absorption of the hydrogen by the oil is accomplished more quickly and for a prolonged period. In the practice of the process in my form of apparatus shown in Fig. 2, the steps of same, except that the oil is made to circulate downwardly from one pan to the other, such oil being finally returned from the lowermost pan to the uppermost.

It is to he understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the same may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The process of hydrogenating oils, fats, fatty acids, 'etc., containing unsaturated constituents, which consists in ex osing a large surface area of the materia carrying in suspension a finely divided catalytic agent on having a substantial depth,-to the action of hydrogen, while moving the material without violent agitation.

2. The process of hydrogenating oils, fats, fatty acids, etc., containingunsaturated fatty constituents, which consists in exposing a large surface area of the material carrying in suspension a finely divided catalytic agent and having a substantial depth, to the action of hydrogen, and withdrawing a portion of the material to cause the material to move without violent agitation.

3. The process of hydrogenating oils, fats,

fatty acids, etc., containing ultsaturating fatty constituents, which consists in exposing a large surface area of the material carrymg in suspension a finely divided cats lytic agent and having a substantial depth, to the action of hydrogen, and Withdrawin the saturated constituents from the expose surface of the material.

4. The process of hydrogenating oil. fats, fatty acids, etc..containing unsaturated fatty constituents, which consists in exposing a.

larg surface area of the material arrying in suspension :1 finely divided catalytic agent and having a substantial depth. to the action of hydrogen, in the presence of suitable heat and pressure, and circulating a portion df the material by withdrawing the same from the exposed surface thereof and introducing it into the material near the bottom thereof.

The process of hydrogcnating oils, fats, fatty acids, etc., containing unsaturated fatty constituents, which consists in placing the material carrying in suspension a finely divided catalytic agent into open pans whereby a large surface area of the material is exposed and the material has a substantial depth, subje -l ne' the large exposed surface area of material to the action of hydrogen in the presence of suitable heat and pressure, and withdrawing the material from one pan and supplying the same to another p 6. The process of hydrogenating fatty material containing unsaturated fatty constituents, which consists in exposing large surface areas of supported and relatively deep flowing bodies of the material carrying in suspension a finely divided catalytic agent, to the action of an atmosphere containing hydrogen.

7. The process of hydrogenating oils, fats, fatty acids, etc., containing unsaturated fatty constituents, which consists in subjecting a mass of the material having a depth substantially greater than a film to the action of an atmosphere of hydrogen under pressure and in the resence of heat and a finely divided catalytic agent, subjecting the a mass to a gentle circulating movement without violent agitation, withdrawing the saturated constituents from surface of the material, and feeding the oil or the like containing more or less unsaturated fatty constituents into the lower portion of the mass at a point spaced a substantial distance from the upper' exposed surface thereof. I

In testimony whereof I at'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN CURTIS CHEYALIER HOEIIN. \Vitnesses:

(lius. K. Pnss'ron, JonN Hours.

the upper exposed