Abstract: An improved process for the production of fatty alcohols is provided. The fatty alcohols are produced by hydrogenation of lower alkyl esters, especially methyl esters, of fatty acids derived from natural triglycerides, under conditions which minimize formation of by-product alkanes and ethers. The hydrogenation is followed by refining of any resulting ester-containing hydrogenation product to produce a substantially ester free fatty alcohol.

Abstract: An improved process for refining alcohols produced by hydrogenation of esters wherein the crude hydrogenation product still contains a minor amount of unconverted ester starting material. In one embodiment, the process includes a method for recovering fatty alcohol or alcohols from a fatty alcohol fraction containing a major molar amount of at least one fatty alcohol and a minor molar amount of at least one lower alkyl fatty acid ester. In another embodiment, there is provided a process for the production of fatty alcohols which comprises, in addition to other steps, hydrogenating a lower alkyl fatty acid ester to yield a mixture of a lower alkanol, a fatty alcohol fraction and a minor amount of unreacted lower alkyl fatty acid ester.