| abstract |
Preparation of an unsaturated alcohol (I) involves hydrogenating an alkyl or alkenyl ester of an unsaturated fatty acid or a triglyceride with a long-chain, aliphatic, unsaturated hydrocarbon group in the presence of a catalyst comprising a complex metal oxide containing (a) zinc oxide and (b) oxide(s) of group IIIA metal(s), with an (a)/(b) weight ratio of 1/(0.01-1.2). The Group IIIA element is yttrium, lanthanum, cerium or thorium. Reaction is carried out at 150-350 deg C. |