Analysis of estolides in technical hydroxylated fatty acids from plant oils

Gel permeation chromatography of hydroxylated fatty acids (HOFA), prepared from various plant oils by a novel technical process, showed the presence of considerable amounts of estolides formed by intermolecular esterification of the HOFA. Thin-layer chromatographic fractionation followed by gas chromatography of the fractions revealed that the nonpolar estolides contain predominantly saturated fatty acids esterified tothero-9, 10-dihydroxy octadecanoic acid or dihydroxy tetrahydrofuran octadecanoic acids, e.g., 9,12-dihydroxy-10, 13-epoxy octadecanoic acid and 10,13-dihydroxy-9, 12-epoxy octadecanoic acid. The fractions of polar estolides consist mainly of intermolecular esters of the above dihydroxy fatty acids.