Isolation and characterization of polymers in heated olestra and an olestra/triglyceride blend

High molecular weight components in thermally oxidized olestra (formerly called sucrose polyesters) and a mixture of olestra and soybean oil were characterized. The high molecular weight components of these oils were separated by preparative size exclusion chromatography and analyzed intact by mass spectrometry, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The materials isolated from the heated olestra were identified as olestra polymers. Materials isolated from the heated mixed oil (olestra and soybean oil) were identified as polymers of olestra and copolymers of olestra and triglycerides. Polymer linkages identified were identical to those resulting from thermal oxidation of natural vegetable oils of similar fatty acid composition.