ES316438A1 - Improvements relating to the treatment of oils - Google Patents

Abstract

Edible vegetable oils containing both linoleic acid and linolenic acid are selectively hydrogenated, so as to reduce the content of linolenic acid to at most 50% of its original value while retaining at least 40% of the original linoleic acid content, by treatment with hydrogen at 150-225 DEG C. in the presence of a catalyst in which the active material is composed of at least 70% by weight of copper in structural combination (as opposed to simple mixture) with a more highly active metal, e.g. Ni, Pd, or Pt. Prior to hydrogenation the oil may be refined, e.g. by desliming, neutralization, and/or bleaching and subsequent to hydrogenation the catalyst and oil are separated by filtration with exclusion of air and/or heating to not more than 100 DEG C., the oil then being washed with an aqueous acidic solution and/or a solution of a metal sequestering agent, e.g. the disodium salt of EDTA. The oils which may be treated include soyabean, rapeseed, mustard, rubberseed, and wheatgerm oils.ALSO:Hydrogenation catalysts are described in which the active material comprises at least 70% by weight of copper in structural combination (as opposed to simple mixture) with a metal which is more highly active than copper e.g. Ni, Pd, or Pt. The catalyst may be supported, e.g. on diatomaceous earth, silica gel, charcoal, or magnesium sulphate. A typical catalyst comprises Cu, Ni, Mg, and silica in the ratio 3.96:0.04:1.0:0.5. The catalysts may be prepared by conventional methods which are described.