Abstract: Methods of recovering free fatty acids having a low ester content from alkanol-containing solutions and oil mixtures containing tocopherols are disclosed which involve atmospheric or vacuum stripping at low temperatures. The recovered fatty acids have a high acid value, and have high commercial value in the production of high quality (high acid value) products, e.g., dimerized fatty acids, useful in polyamide resins.

Abstract: A process for making branched, substantially unsaturated fatty alcohols involving: (a) providing a C16-22 fatty acid; (b) dimerizing the C16-22 fatty acid to form a monomer fraction containing branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acids; (c) removing the monomer fraction; (d) esterifying the branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acids contained in the monomer fraction into branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters; and (e) hydrogenating the branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters with their double bonds intact, to form the branched, substantially unsaturated fatty alcohols.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of dimeric fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters comprising the steps of A) reacting a soybean oil condensate obtained from the deodorization of refined soybean oil and which contains less than 30% by weight of free and esterified oleic acid based on the total weight of free and esterified fatty acids in said condensate, with a C1-4 alkanol in the presence of a zinc oxide catalyst to convert free fatty acids and fatty acid glyceride esters to fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; B) removing excess C1-4 alkanol, volatile reaction by-products, water, and the zinc oxide catalyst from the resulting reaction mixture; C) heating the reaction mixture from step B) under vacuum to obtain a distillate of fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters; D) separating the distillate from step C) into a fraction containing mostly C16-18 saturated fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters and a second fraction containing mostly C16-18 unsaturated fatty acid C1-4 alkyl esters wherein the oleic acid C1-4 alkyl ester content is less than abo

Abstract: Sulfur and soap contaminants are removed from carboxylic acid esters by a process comprising the steps of: (1) contacting a carboxylic acid ester with an aqueous base at a temperature of from about 225° F. to about 280° F. while removing water to form a dry, crude ester; (2) contacting the dry, crude ester with an absorbent selected from the group consisting of silica gel, hydro-silica gel and mixtures thereof; (3) separating the absorbent from the ester.

Abstract: Alkoxylated alcohols containing no insoluble matter which would prevent the spray application of such materials are obtained by reacting an alcohol and epoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of a calcined hydrotalcite catalyst to form a crude alkoxylated product. The crude product is then passed through silica gel to remove insoluble by-products.

Abstract: This invention relates to a diazonium compound of the formula: ##STR1## wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of biotin, an antigen, an antibody, a photoreactive group, a fluorescent group and heavy metal-containing compounds;X is an alkylene group containing up to 18 carbon atoms in the principle chain and a total of up to 24 carbon atoms or a substituted alkylene group containing up to 18 carbon atoms in the principle chain with substituents selected from the group consisting of solubility-enhancing groups and cleavable --S--S-- containing moieties;Ar is an unsubstituted or substituted aryl or heteroaryl; andY is an anion and n is an integer from 1-3.Such compounds are useful as components for nucleic acid probes.

Abstract: Aluminum acyloxide polymers are formed in a reaction involving approximately equimolar amounts of aluminum alkoxide, water and a branched chain, saturated aliphatic monocarboxylic acid having from about 10 to about 25 carbon atoms. These novel compounds from stable gels with non-polar liquids.