Analysis of fats and oils

Analytical information on fats and oils is required for trading, quality control, nutritional labeling and forensics. Development of analytical procedures was one of the historical reasons for the organization of the Society of Cotton Products Analysits; it continues as a major effort of the successor organization, the American Oil Chemists’ Society, through its Uniform Methods Committee and final publication of methods in the Society’s “Official and Tentative Methods.” A review of the current status of methods development will be followed by a glimpse of methodological research currently underway.     

Hydrogenation of oils and fats

Hydrogenation is a complex 3-phase reaction, and the end result depends largely on transport and chemical resistances. Control of these factors is of critical importance to a predictable end product and this control is possible if a fundamental understanding of the process is achieved. The basic transport steps involved to bring the hydrogen and oil together in the presence of catalyst and the effect of different process variables on the course of the chemical reaction will be the major subjects of discussion in this presentation.     

Refining of oils and fats

The technique of continuous refining of oils and fats has steadily improved since the first commercial installation some 30 years ago. Refining is the most important economic factor in the overall processing of an oil from the crude to the finished product. Crude oil handling, reagent selection, mixing, heating, and centrifugal separation are all critical when an attempt is made to obtain the maximum refining efficiency. The agronomist, scientist, control laboratory and operating personnel, along with the equipment manufacturers, have all aided in obtaining more efficient and economical processing methods. In a discussion of the over-all refining process, soapstock handling must also be considered. In recent years several successful continuous soapstock acidulation plants have been installed. With this addition to a refinery, the refining operation can now truly be considered as a continuous process. Like most industrial processes, this has been an evolution from the batch system to a semicontinuous system up to the present continuous treatment of soapstock and wash water to produce a high-purity acid oil on an economical basis. Details of the various factors in refining and aeidulation on a commercial basis, along with control methods, are discussed. Presented at the AOCS Short Course, “Processing Quality Control of Fats and Oils,” East Lansing, Mich., Aug. 29–Sept. 1, 1966.     

Winterization of oils and fats

The process of winterization consists of fractional crystallization of oils and fats followed by the separation of solids to make high quality salad oils. To design a winterization process, the rate of cooling of oil, the temperature of crystallization and the mobility of triglyceride molecules in the oil mass are crucial. These variables play a significant role both in separating the solid fats as distinct crystals and facilitating their filtration from the oil. Thus, the main emphasis in this paper is on the effect of the above variables on the performance of the winterization process. Presented at the AOCS short course held April 21–23 1980, Lake Kiamesha, NY.