Hydrogenation practice

This paper deals with such topics as the changes in the molecular dimensions of a triglyceride during hydrogenation and the effect of catalyst structure on selectivity and filterability and the effect of sulfur on activity and isomerization, the prevention of aromatics formation during hydrogenation of highly unsaturated oils, explanation and prevention of green coloration of oil, the effect of phosphatides on selectivity andtrans-isomer formation. Heat saving equipment and process control are discussed.     

Behavior of hydrogenation catalysts. I. Hydrogenation of soybean oil with palladium

A statistical method for evaluation of catalysts was used to determine the behavior of palladium catalyst for soybean oil hydrogenation. Empirical models were developed that predict the rate,trans-isomer formation, and selectivity over a range of practical reaction conditions. Two target iodine value (IV) ranges were studied: one range for a liquid salad oil and the other for a margarine basestock. Although palladium has very high activity, it offered no special advantage intrans-isomer formation or selectivity. Palladium can substitute for nickel catalyst, at greatly reduced temperature and catalyst concentrations, for production of salad oil or margarine basestock from soybean oil. Presented at the AOCS meeting, Chicago, May 1983.     

Catalytic behavior of palladium in the hydrogenation of edible oils

Palladium supported on alumina was used to hydrogenate soybean and canola oil. Previous literature reports indicated that palladium forms moretrans isomers than nickel. At 750 psig, 50 ppm palladium, and at 70 C, only 9.4%trans were formed when canola oil was hydrogenated to IV 74. In general, high pressure and low temperature favored lowtrans formation with no appreciable loss in catalyst activity. The effect of pressure, temperature and catalyst concentration on reaction rate,trans formation and selectivity is presented. A survey of various catalyst supports is discussed. Apparent activation energies of 6.3 to 8.9 kcal/mol were obtained; they are in good agreement with values reported in the literature.     

Supported gold catalysis in the hydrogenation of canola oil

The catalytic activity of gold supported on silica orγ-alumina has been studied in the hydrogenation of canola oil. In the hydrogenation of butadiene and pentene using these catalysts, high stability, low yield oftrans-isomers and high monoene selectivity have been reported in the literature. Catalysts containing 1% and 5% Au w/w on porous silica andγ-alumina were active in hydrogenating canola oil in the range of 150 to 250 C and 3550 to 5620 kPa. The activity level of these catalysts was about 30 times lower than that shown by the standard AOCS Ni catalyst based on the concentration of metal (g Au/L oil). Up to 91% monoene content was obtained using these catalysts in comparison with a maximum of 73% for the AOCS standard Ni catalysts. Gold catalysts can be recovered easily by filtration and reused several times without a decrease in activity. The hydrogenated oil was nearly colorless. No gold was detectable in the oil. Contrary to claims in the patent literature, the gold catalyst produces higher concentrations oftrans-isomers than does nickel. However, using gold catalysts the complete reduction of linolenic acid in canola oil can be achieved at a lowertrans-isomer content in the products than that obtained by using the AOCS standard nickel catalyst.     

Hydrogenation of fatty oils with palladium catalysts. V. Products of the tall oil industry

Conditions were found for reducing tall oil distillate to an iodine number of 22 with a sufficiently small amount of palladium catalyst to make the process commereially feasible. The operating conditions were 200°C and 2,600 psi. Tall oil fatty acids were reduced with palladium and the concentration of linoleic acid,cis-oleic acid, saturated acid, andtrans isomers were determined as a function of iodine number. The five-platinum group metals (Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru) were compared as to activity, selectivity of partial hydrogenation, and tendeney to formtrans-isomers.     

Catalytic behavior of ruthenium in soybean oil hydrogenation

Soybean oil was hydrogenated with a carbon‐supported ruthenium catalyst (Ru/C) at 165 °C, 2 bar H₂ and 500 rpm stirring speed. Reaction rates, trans isomer formation, selectivity ratios and melting behaviors of the samples were monitored. No catalytic activity was found for the application of 10 ppm of the catalyst, and significant catalytic activity appeared at >50 ppm of active catalyst. The catalyst concentration had an effect on the reaction rate of hydrogenation, but the weight‐normalized reaction rate constant (k_c) was almost independent of the catalyst concentration at lower iodine values. Ru/C generated considerable amounts of trans fatty acids (TFA), including high amounts of trans 18:2, and also stearic acid, due to its very non‐selective nature. The selectivity ratios were found to be low and varied between 1.12 and 4.32 during the reactions. On the other hand, because of the low selectivity, higher slip melting points and solid fat contents at high temperatures were obtained than those for nickel and palladium catalysts. Another different characteristic of this catalyst was the formation (max 1.67%) of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) during hydrogenation. Besides, CLA formation in the early stages of the reactions did not change very much with the lower iodine values.     

The hydrogenation of fatty oils with palladium catalyst. III. Hydrogenation of fatty oils for shortening stock

Summary Palladium-on-carbon catalysts are exceedingly active for the hydrogenation of natural unsaturated oils when very mild conditions are used. Selectivity is usually good, andtrans content can be adequately controlled by the proper choice of conditions. In the range of operating variables used in this work,trans formation is lessened with increased agitation and pressure, decreased catalyst activity, decreased concentration of metal in oil and on carrier, and with decreased temperature. Some shortening stocks were obtained which have good physical properties, as expressed by their dilatometric curves.     

Cis-Unsaturated fatty acid products by hydrogenation with chromium hexacarbonyl

The use of Cr(CO)₆ was investigated to convert polyunsaturated fats intocis unsaturated products. With methyl sorbate, the same order of selectivity for the formation ofcis-3-hexenoate was demonstrated for Cr(CO)₆ as for the arene-Cr(CO)₃ complexes. With conjugated fatty esters, the stereoselectivity of Cr(CO)₆ toward thetrans, trans diene system was particularly high in acetone. However, this solvent was not suitable at elevated temperatures required to hydrogenatecis, trans- andcis, cis-conjugated dienes (175 C) and nonconjugated soybean oil (200 C). Reaction parameters were analyzed statistically to optimize hydrogenation of methyl sorbate and soybean oil. To achieve acceptable oxidative stability, it is necessary to reduce the linolenate constituent of soybean oil below 1–3%. When this is done commercially with conventional heterogenous catalysts, the hydrogenated products contain more than 15%trans unsaturation. By hydrogenating soybean oil with Cr(CO)₆ (200 C, 500 psi H₂, 1% catalyst in hexane solution), the product contains less than 3% each of linolenate andtrans unsaturation. Recycling of Cr(CO)₆ catalyst by sublimation was carried through three hydrogenations of soybean oil, but, about 10% of the chromium was lost in each cycle by decomposition. The hydrogenation mechanism of Cr(CO)₆ is compared with that of arene-Cr(CO)₃ complexes. Presented in part at Seventh Conference on Catalysis in Organic Syntheses, Chicago, Illinois, June 5–7, 1978.     

Catalytic hydrogenation of linoleic acid on nickel,copper, and palladium

The catalytic activity and selectivity for hydrogenation of linoleic acid were studied on Ni, Cu, and Pd catalysts. A detailed analysis of the reaction product was performed by a gas-liquid chromatograph, equipped with a capillary column, and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. Geometrical and positional isomerization of linoleic acid occurred during hydrogenation, and many kinds of linoleic acid isomers (trans-9,trans-12; trans-8,cis-12 orcis-9,trans-13; cis-9,trans-12; trans-9,cis-12 andcis-9,cis-12 18∶2) were contained in the reaction products. The monoenoic acids in the partial hydrogenation products contained eight kinds of isomers and showed different isomer distributions on Ni, Cu, and Pd catalysts, respectively. The positional isomers of monoenoic acid were produced by double-bond migration during hydrogenation. On Ni and Pd catalysts, the yield ofcis-12 andtrans-12 monoenoic acids was larger than that ofcis-9 andtrans-9 monoenoic acids. On the contrary, the yield ofcis-9 andtrans-9 monoenoic acids was larger than that ofcis-12 andtrans-12 monoenoic acids on Cu catalyst. From these results, it is concluded that the double bond closer to the methyl group (Δ12) and that to the carboxyl group (Δ9) show different reactivity for hydrogenation on Ni, Cu, and Pd catalysts. Monoenoic acid formation was more selective on Cu catalyst than on Ni and Pd catalysts.     

Selectivity and isomerization during partial hydrogenation of cottonseed oil and methyl oleate: Effect of operating variables

Results are now available for hydrogenation of cottonseed oil and methyl oleate in which sufficient agitation was provided to eliminate mass transfer resistances from the catalyst surface. The ratio of thetrans-to-cis isomers of oleic acid groups approaches 2.0 even at high pressures and high degrees of agitation. The rates of hydrogenation for bothcis andtrans isomers and for positional isomers are all essentially identical. A reaction scheme has been devised that is consistent with extensive experimental data, and the method of evaluating the relative reaction rate constants for each step is outlined. Using these rates constants, selectivity can be quantitatively evaluated.     

Selective hydrogenation of the cyclopropene acid groups in cottonseed oil

The cyclopropene acid groups in cottonseed oil can be modified by a light hydrogenation which will not produce large amounts oftrans isomers or lower the iodine value to a significant extent. Optimum conditions, as indicated by this investigation, are 105-115C, 20 psig hydrogen pressure, 0.1% electrolytic nickel as catalyst, and a low hydrogen-dispersion rate. Under milder conditions of hydrogenation the elimination of the cyclopropenes was accompanied by a lower formation oftrans isomers and a lower hydrogenation of noncyclopropenes, but the time required increased. In one hydrogenation carried out with commercial nickel catalyst, the 0.4% of malvalic acid groups in the cottonseed oil was hydrogenated completely whereas the iodine value was reduced by only 1.7 units and only 2.1% oftrans isomers was formed. AVinterization of cottonseed oils which had been hydrogenated to the point of eliminating their response to the Halphen test and in which only small amounts of saturated acid groups andtrans isomers had been formed gave yields equal to or better than those of the original oil. Hydrogénation actually increased the ease of winterization. 2 So. Utiliz. Ees. Dev. Div, ARS, USDA.     

Hydrogenation of oleic acid to 9-octadecen-1-ol with rhenium-tin catalyst

A new supported bimetallic catalyst, rhenium-tin, is able to reduce oleic acid to 9-octadecen-1-ol (cis andtrans isomers) with appreciable yield under mild hydrogenation conditions. This paper reports investigations on the effects of catalyst preparation methods, types of support, catalyst raw materials, mole ratio of the metals, activation and reaction conditions on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. Catalyst derived from the combination of ammonium perrhenate and stannic chloride on alumina gave the best performance, and the presence of tin in the catalyst is essential for the preservation of the olefinic bond of the oleic acid during hydrogenation.     

Industrial hydrogenation of cottonseed oil: A compositional study

Intermediate samples during a typical plant hydrogenation of cottonseed oil for vanaspati (shortening) manufacture have been examined for their fatty acid composition by gas-liquid chromatography andtrans isomers content by infrared spectrophotometry. In the initial stages, hydrogenation of linoleate proceeds almost exclusively in preference to that of oleate. During this period,trans isomers are also formed at a rapid rate. It has been proposed that this high selectivity and hightrans isomer formation are linked to the formation of conjugated diene from linoleate as a first step in the hydrogenation. It has been found that a linear relationship exists between the linoleate content and thetrans isomers content or the^k10.38 μ values of the glycerides. The practical utility of this plot is that it can be employed as a guide to arrest the process at any desired linoleate level.     

Control of the product distribution in the hydrogenation of vegetable oils over nickel on silica catalysts

Several nickel on silica catalysts, prepared by impregnation or precipitation/deposition, and a commercial catalyst were tested for activity and selectivity in the sunflower seed oil hydrogenation. An average turn-over frequency of 2.57 s^?1 was found for the catalysts, assuming inaccessibility of nickel in pores smaller than 2 nm and a constant nickel surface concentration poisoned by the reaction mixture. After studying the mass-transfer steps, the effect of temperature (373-453 K) and pressure (101-608 kPa) on reaction rates in the kinetic regime was analyzed, and the corresponding apparent activation energies and reaction orders were obtained. Conclusions on the effect of temperature and pressure on the selectivity to the preferential hydrogenation of polyunsaturates (S_o) and to the formation of trans-isomers ((S_trans)₀) in the kinetic regime were derived from the results. Finally, a similar analysis was carried out when diffusion limitations were known to be present.     

Continuous slurry hydrogenation of soybean oil with nickel catalysts

Soybean oil was hydrogenated continuously in the presence of nickel catalysts. The iodine value of the products was varied by changing the oil flow rate and temperature of the reaction. Sulfur-promoted nickel catalyst increased the selectivity for linolenate hydrogenation, but formed much higher proportions oftrans isomers. Linoleate selectivity improved with temperature with both nickel and sulfur-promoted nickel catalysts, buttrans isomerization also increased. The feasibility of this continuous reactor system was demonstrated as a practical means to prepare hydrogenated stocks of desired composition and physical characteristics at high throughput.     

Fixed- Bed continuous hydrogenation of soybean oil with palladium- Polymer supported catalysts

To compare a continuous hydrogenation system with batch hydrogenation, soybean oil was treated with Pd and Ni catalysts in a fixed-bed system under conditions that gave trickle flow. The influence of processing variables such as space velocity, pressure, temperature and hydrogen flow on the selectivity, specific isomerization and the activity was investigated. Both the Pd and Ni catalysts gave significantly lower specific isomerization(trans isomer per drop in Iodine Value) when compared to reported values for batch hydrogenation with similar type catalysts. The linolenate and linoleate selectivities were also significantly lower. Heterogenized homogeneous Pd-on-polystyrene catalyst gave lower specific isomerization formation and higher selectivity than carbon-supported Pd catalyst at same conditions. This work indicates that Pd-on-styrene, Pd-on-carbon and extruded Ni catalysts, in fixed-bed continuous hydrogenation can produce soybean oil of desirable composition after further optimization.     

Hydrogenation of soybean oil with copper catalysts containing small amounts of nickel catalysts

Reaction rates, linolenate/linoleate reaction selectivity,trans formation, and conjugated diene formation were determined for mixed commerical catalysts containing 0.5, 1, 2, 10, and 20 parts nickel catalyst (25% nickel) per 1000 parts copper chromite catalyst (ppt) and at catalyst concentrations in the oil of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25%. The rate of hydrogenation increased as the amount of nickel increased. Addition of 0.5, 1, and 2 ppt nickel catalyst to copper chomite catalyst resulted in a small decrease in selectivity compared with straight copper chromite. When soybean oil was hydrogenated with these mixed catalysts sufficiently to reduce linolenate to 0, iodine values were 102–108 compared to 109–112 for straight copper chromite and to less than 80 for straight nickel. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans April 1973. ARS, USDA.     

Evaluation of hydrogenation catalyst activity

The AOCS Recommended Practice for testing activity of hydroge-nation catalysts was used to compare activity and properties of a number of commercial catalysts with the AOCS standard catalyst. Four of five commercial catalysts tested were similar to the standard but one commercial catalyst was markedly more active and more selective. It also was very difficult to filter after hydrogenation. Selectivity of the catalysts in hydrogenation of soybean oil was determined from change in fatty acid composition. The most selective catalyst produced the highest level oftrans isomers and the highest dropping point. Solid fat contents measured after 30 and 40 min of hydrogenation time were determined by wide-line nuclear magnetic resonance. The Recommended Practice and standard catalyst were useful tools in evaluating activity and selectivity of hydrogenation catalysts.     

Hydrogenation of vegetable oil using highly dispersed Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst: Effects of key operating parameters and deactivation study

In the present work, Pt/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts with high metal dispersion were prepared and characterized using chloroplatinic acid and platinum acetylacetonate as metal precursors. The activity and selectivity of the catalysts were evaluated in the hydrogenation of sunflower oil. A comprehensive analysis of the effects of key operational parameters on catalytic performance was carried out. The experimental variables were hydrogen pressure (275.8–551.6 kPa), temperature (160–200°C), and catalyst loading (0.005–0.015 kg Pt_exp/m³_oil). Platinum catalysts were active, with a double bond conversion of 28% at 2 h. The metal precursor affected catalyst selectivity. The catalyst prepared with chloroplatinic acid exhibited a lower formation of trans-isomers compared with Pt acetylacetonate. The γ-Al₂O₃ supported platinum catalyst with a metal loading of 0.51 wt.% and a metal dispersion of 98% maintained its initial catalyst activity and selectivity after 10 consecutive uses (1200 min accumulate operation time), without changes in its catalytic properties. The obtained results suggested that Pt catalysts are an attractive alternative to conventional nickel catalysts for the hydrogenation of vegetable oil.     

Selective hydrogenation of soybean oil: VII. Poisons and inhibitors for copper catalysts

Hydrogenation rates for the catalytic reduction of soybean oil with a copper-on-silica catalyst increased when the oil was re-refined and bleached in the laboratory. Purification of the re-refined and bleached oil by passage through alumina further enhanced hydrogenation rates. Since these observations suggested that poisons were present in the oil, the effect of minor components of soybean oil upon the activity of copper catalysts was investigated. Free fatty acids, monoglycerides, β-carotene, phosphoric acid, sodium soaps, phosphatides, glycerine, choline, ethanolamine, water, pheophytin, and pyrrole all reduced hydrogenation rates when added to the oil. Organic sulfur added to the oil was a more effective catalyst inhibitor than inorganic sulfur added to the gas. Catalyst activity was affected adversely when iron was added to the oil as a soap or when deposited on the catalyst during its preparation. Squalene, copper soaps, and carbon monoxide had no influence on the activity of the catalyst. Aging of soybean oil also had no effect. There was no significant change in either selectivity or formation oftrans or conjugated diene isomer when these additives were added to the oil.