Partial hydrogenation of unsaturated glyceride oils

Claim 1

THE CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF PARTIALLY HYDROGENATING UNSATURATED GLYCERINE OILS CONTAINING POLYOLEFINIC DOUBLE BONDS AND HAVING INITIAL IODINE VALUES ABOVE 90 TO PRODUCE FATS HAVING IODINE VALUES BETWEEN ABOUT 60 AND ABOUT 90, SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHORTENING, WHICH COMPRISES: (1) FLOWING SAID OIL AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 60*C. AND ABOUT 180*C. INTO, THROUGH, AND (AT A POINT REMOTE FROM THE INLET) OUT OF CONFINED HYDROGENATION ZONE, AND CONTINUOUSLY ININTRODUCING HYDROGEN GAS INTO SAID ZONE UNDER A CONTROLLED AND SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE NOT EXCEEDING ABOUT 500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH; (2) MAINTAINING MECHANICALLY INDUCED VIOLENT AGITATION OF A TURBULENT CHARACTER IN EACH OF AT LEAST FOUR SEPARATED ADJOINING LOCALITIES ALONG THE PATH OF SAID OIL WITHIN SAID ZONE, THEREBY PROMOTING HIGHLY EFFECTIVE CONTACTING OF ALL REACTANTS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY RESTRICTING MOVEMENT OF THE OIL INTERMEDIATE SAID LOCALITIES AND THUS RETARDING MOVEMENT OF INSUFFICIENTLY HYDROGENATED OIL THROUGH AND OUT OF SAID ZONE; (3) ESTABLISHING, WITH THE AID OF A CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCED SUPPLY OF HIGHLY ACTIVE FINELY DIVIDED NICKEL-CONTAINING CATALYST, A HYDROGENATION RATE AVERAGING AT LEAST AS GREAT