Abstract: There is described a continuous process for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils containing triglycerides of unsaturated carboxylic acids, for the obtainment of saturated carboxylic acids, comprising the steps of: a) feeding to a first continuous reactor at least a vegetable oil, an oxidizing compound and a catalyst capable of catalyzing the oxidation reaction of the olefinic double bond to obtain an intermediate compound containing vicinal diols, and of b) feeding to a second continuous reactor said intermediate compound, a compound containing oxygen and a catalyst capable of catalyzing the oxidation reaction of the vicinal diols to carboxylic groups, to obtain saturated monocarboxylic acids (i) and triglycerides containing saturated carboxylic acids with more than one acid function (ii); c) separating the saturated monocarboxylic acids (i) from the triglycerides having more than one acid function (ii).

Abstract: There is described a continuous process for the oxidative cleavage of vegetable oils containing triglycerides of unsaturated carboxylic acids, for the obtainment of saturated carboxylic acids, comprising the steps of: a) feeding to a first continuous reactor at least a vegetable oil, an oxidizing compound and a catalyst capable of catalyzing the oxidation reaction of the olefinic double bond to obtain an intermediate compound containing vicinal diols, and of b) feeding to a second continuous reactor said intermediate compound, a compound containing oxygen and a catalyst capable of catalyzing the oxidation reaction of the vicinal diols to carboxylic groups, to obtain saturated monocarboxylic acids (i) and triglycerides containing saturated carboxylic acids with more than one acid function (ii); c) separating the saturated monocarboxylic acids (i) from the triglycerides having more than one acid function (ii).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the synthesis of aliphatic carboxylic acids by the catalytic oxidation of aldehydes with oxygen, or oxygen-containing gas mixtures. Metals of groups 5 11 of the periodic table of elements, or the compounds thereof are used as catalyst, in amounts of up to 5 ppm, based upon the amount of aldehyde used.