US Patent 7781619 Process for the decarboxylation of fatty acids

A process for the production of a ketone having a carbon number between about 20 and about 40 comprising contacting fatty acids containing from about 10 to about 21 carbons atoms with a hydrotalcite catalyst under conditions effective to decarboxylate said acids. More particularly said decarboxylation conditions comprise: a temperature in the range between about 300° C. and about 400° C.; a pressure in the range between about 0.01 and about 5 bar; and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of from about 0.1 to about 10 hr−1.