Abstract: A process for the production of fatty acid mixtures containing a high proportion of C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 -fatty acids consisting essentially of (1) transesterifying mixtures consisting essentially of C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 -fatty acid alkyl esters with from 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl with glycerine at 160.degree. to 250.degree. C. in the presence of transesterification catalysts with removal of the C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkanol formed, (2) adding the C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 -fatty acid glycerides to a C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 -fatty acid glyceride selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm kernel oil and mixtures thereof, (3) subjecting the mixture of glycerides to lipolysis in the presence of an excess of water at 200.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. at the autogenous pressure in the absence of a catalyst until until the required degree of splitting is achieved and (4) recovering a fatty acid mixture containing a high proportion of C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 -fatty acids.

Abstract: A process for the nondegenerative distillation of C.sub.6 -C.sub.24 -fatty acids, of the type obtained by splitting natural fats and oils or by synthetic processes, such as for example the oxidation of paraffins, the crude product is thermally dried under reduced pressure, the dried and heated crude product is subjected to fractional evaporation in falling-film evaporators, optionally in the presence of superheated steam, and the various vapor fractions are deposited in condensers. The thermal drying process is conducted at a temperature of 60.degree.-80.degree. C. and a pressure of 90-100 mbars. The de-watered crude product is fractionated in a film-forming evaporator and, after distillation, passes to a rectification column which condenses the low boiling constituents as the main runnings.