INTERESTERIFICATION KINETICS OF SOYBEAN OIL

Soybean oil was interesterified at different temperatures, ranging from 10 to 80 C, 600 rpm stirring rate and 0.2–0.5% catalyst (NaOCH₃) concentration. The content of palmitic acid in the 2-position of triacylglycerols was monitored during the reaction by an enzymatic method. The conversion of triacylglycerols to random distribution appeared to be a first order and reaction rate constants (k) were determined between 0.015 and 1.498 min^-1. It was also observed that reaction rate increased about 8 times when catalyst ratio was increased from 0.2 to 0.5% and about 10 times when temperature was raised from 40 to 80C. Activation energy was calculated as 14188 Cal/mole, from plotting of Lnk values against reciprocal of absolute temperature.