Hidrogenación selectiva de metil ésteres de ácidos grasos para obtención de alcoholes grasos. I. Perspectivas actuales, catalizadores y mecanismos de reacción.

A review is presented about the production of fatty alcohols by selective hydrogenation of the corresponding fatty acid methyl esters. The process technology status is also presented with references tochemical process types and catalysts, and the current trends in the research field on this area are discussed. Recent advances in the elucidation of catalytic reaction mechanisms according to the new structural and functional characteristics of prototype catalysts developed to improve this process are commented in brief. Some simplified kinetics models potentially useful for the catalytic reaction modeling are proposed