Selective oxidation process for producing fatty acids and alcohols

Claim 1

A SELECTIVE LIQUID PHASE OXIDATION PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES OXIDIZING AN ORGANIC MIXTURE DERIVED FROM THE OXO PROCESS, SAID MIXTURE HAVING A RELATIVELY HIGH ALDEHYDE CONTENT AND CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF OLEFINS AND ALCOHOLS, THERE BEING PRESENT BOTH BRANCHED CHAIN AND STRAIGHT CHAIN COMPOUNDS, WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AT TEMPERATURES FROM 80* TO 200* F. IN THE PRESENCE OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF A METALLIC SOAP OXIDATION CATALYST, WHEREBY A REACTION MIXTURE IS OBTAINED IN WHICH THE MORE BRANCHED CHAIN ALDEHYDES, OLEFINS, AND ALCOHOLS ARE CONVERTED TO ACIDIC BODIES AND THE MORE STRAIGHT CHAIN ALDEHYDES, OLEFINS, AND ALCOHOLS ARE CONVERTED TO NEUTRAL BODIES, SAPONIFYING SAID REACTION MIXTURE TO CONVERT THE ACIDIC BODIES TO THE CORRESPONDING SOAPS, EXTRACTING THE NON-SAPONIFIABLE NEUTRAL BODIES, ACIDIFYING THE SOAPS, AND RECOVERING THE FREE ACIDIC BODIES FROM THE ACIDIFIED MIXTURE.