3588.     WACHS, W., AND REITSTOETTER, J.  [Synthetic Fats in Germany.]  Angew. Chem., vol. 20, B, 1948, pp. 61-68; British Abs., 1948, B, II, p. 547; Chem. Abs., vol. 42, 1948, p. 7,067.

        Fatty acids are produced by oxidation of paraffins from brown coal and from synthetic was from air at 100° and 1 atm. in presence of a catalyst, KMnO₄, which accelerates the formation of peroxides on which the chain reaction depends.  The treatment is stopped when about 40% of the paraffins have been attacked in order to reduce secondary oxidations.  The purification by vacuum fractionation at 2-5 mm. Hg and esterification with glycerol of the C₁₂-C₁₈ fraction to produce edible fat are outlined.  Acids from Fischer-Tropsch wax include branched-chain members, which must be removed for physiological reasons.  Fatty acids and sulfonate detergents and wetting agents from the lower fractions obtained by this process are used to replace soaps from natural fats for washing and industrial purposes.