Paraffin oxidation

Paraffin oxidation is a historical industrial process for the production of synthetic fatty acids. The fatty acids are further processed to consumer products such as soaps and fats as well as to lubricating greases for technical applications. Coal slack wax, a saturated, high molecular weight hydrocarbon mixture and by-product of the Fischer-Tropsch process was used as raw material. Side products were a wide range of carboxylic acids and oxidation products such as alcohols, aldehydes, esters, or ketones. The oxidation of paraffins was carried out in the liquid phase by molecular oxygen in the presence of catalysts such as permanganates, at temperatures in the range of about 100 to 120 °C and under atmospheric pressure.