Cold Plasma Treatment of Soybean Oil with Hydrogen Gas

High-voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) treatment generates reactive gas species that induce inter- and intramolecular reactions in soybean oil. The goal of this study is to analyze the effect of HVACP treatment on the chemical structure of soybean oil in a hydrogen gas environment at atmospheric pressure. HVACP was used to treat soybean oil (15 g) for up to 6 hours by triplicate. Plasma-generated reactive gas species interact with the sample, producing three distinct fractions identified as a liquid, gel, and solid. Fatty acid profile, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance, size-exclusion chromatography, thermal properties, and peroxide value were used to characterize the chemical structure. Results indicated a lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, increased content of saturated fatty acids, and the presence of isomers. An insoluble portion was observed in the solid fraction and increased with treatment time up to 42% in the 6-h treated samples. Plasma species may cause two main reactions: polymerization and hydrogenation.