Long‐chain unsaturated alcohols from jojoba oil by sodium reduction

Summary Jojoba oil is a liquid wax composed essentially of C20 and C22 straight‐chain monoethylenic acids and alcohols in the form of esters. Sodium reduction of the wax fatty esters in jojoba oil yielded quantitatively a mixture of unsaturated, long‐chain alcohols from the acid moiety of the jojoba oil. Yields of about 91% were obtained in the laboratory‐scale experiments and 82 to 86 for the pilot‐plant experiments. Analytical data, including detailed infrared spectra information, are given for the resulting product alcohols.