Fatty alcohols
Fatty alcohols are C8-C22 alcohols from palm kernel and coconut oil or from ethylene, the oil-loving tail of most shampoo and detergent surfactants.
Bio-based chemicals · Oleochemicals · No. 107
- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Crops and biomass
- capacity about 5.1 Mt (2024, derived) rising to 6.2 Mt by 2027; demand about 4-4.5 Mt (indicative, basis: about 80-85% utilisation)
- 4.5 t CO₂e per t
- HS 382370
The foam in your shampoo likely began as coconut or palm kernel oil, or as ethylene from a cracker.
Chart: Illustration: Fatty alcohols
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Most fatty alcohol is made by hydrogenating esters of palm kernel and coconut oil; the rest is built up from ethylene by the Ziegler or oxo processes.
Three things to know
- Sasol and Shell, both largely petrochemical, are the two biggest capacity holders at 14% and 11%.
- About 1.1 Mt of new capacity is due in 2024-2027, including 130 kt at Apical's Dumai plant in Indonesia.
- Palm-kernel fatty alcohol ranges from about -1.5 to 16.7 t CO2e per tonne, depending on the land behind it.
The journey
- 1 Lauric oilPalm kernel or coconut oil, or ethylene
- 2 Methyl esterOil reacted with methanol, glycerine released
- 3 HydrogenationHydrogen at 200-300 bar over copper
- 4 FractionationSplit into C8-C10, C12-C14, C16-C18 cuts
- 5 SurfactantsEthoxylated or sulphated into shampoo and detergent