Twitchell Process

E. Twitchell, US 601603; US 628503 (1898); DE 365522; DE 385074.

Commercial process for splitting fats to and fatty acids by heating the sulfuric-acid-washed fat 20-48 hours in an open tank with steam in a mixture of 25-50% water, 0.5% sulfuric acid and 0.75-1.25% Twitchell reagent (sulfonated petroleum products):



E. Twitchell, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 22, 22 (1900); 28, 196 (1906); J. W. Lawrie, Glycerol and the Glycols (New York, 1928) p 32; R. B. Trusler, J. Oil & Fat Ind. 8, 141 (1931); A. F. Bailey, Industrial Oil and Fat Products (New York, 1945) p 668; C. J. Marsel, H. D. Allen, Chem. Eng. 54(6), 104 (1947); V. Mills, H. K. McClain, Ind. Eng. Chem. 41, 1982 (1949); L. Lascaray, J. Am. Oil Chemists Soc. 29, 362 (1952); Faith, Keyes & Clark's Industrial Chemicals (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 4th ed., 1975) p 431.