Separation of mixed fatty acids

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING MONONSATURATED FATTY ACIDS FROM MIXTURES OF FATTY ACIDS CONTAINING SATURATED, MONO- AND POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN WHICH THE RATIO OF MONO- TO POLYUNSATURATED ACIDS IS AT LEAST 3:1 WHICH COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF STEPS: DISSOLVING THE MIXTURE OF ACIDS IN A SOLVENT COMPRISING 90% METHANOL AND 10% WATER, COOLING THE SOLUTION TO ABOUT 0*C. TO PRECIPITATE MOST OF THE SATURATED ACIDS AS A SOLID; SEPARATING THE SUPERNATANT LIQUID CONTAINING MIXED UNSATURATED ACIDS AND RESIDUAL SATURATED ACIDS, FROM THE PRECIPITATE OF SATURATED ACIDS; DISSOLVING, BY THE APPLICATION OF HEAT, SUFFICIENT UREA IN THE SEPARATED SOLUTION TO FORM COMPLEXES WITH THE MONOUNSATURATED ACIDS AND REMAINING SATURATED ACIDS; COOLING THE SOLUTION TO ABOUT 25*C. TO CAUSE CRYSTILLIZATION OF SAID COMPLEXES; SEPARATING THE CRYSTALS OF COMPLEXES FROM THE SUPERNATANT SOLUTION CONTAINING THE POLYUNSATURATED ACIDS, RECOVERING A MIXTURE OF SATURATED AND MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS FROM THE CRYSTALLINE COMPLEXES BY THE ADDITION OF HOT WATER; AND SEPARATING AND RECOVERING THE MONOUNSATURATED ACIDS FROM THE SATURATED FATTY ACIDS BY FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION.