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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #79320
Title: HYDROLYSIS OF VEGETABLE OILS IN SUBCRITICAL WATER

Author
item Holliday, Russell
item King, Jerry
item List, Gary

Submitted to: Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Subcritical water represents a new reaction medium for the synthesis or conversion of lipids and oil feedstocks. In this research, subcritical water has been used as a solvent and reactant for the hydrolysis of triglycerides. Soybean, linseed, and coconut oils were hydrolyzed in batch reactors to free fatty acids with water at temperatures of 260 to 280 deg C and a density of 0.7 g/mL. Under these conditions the reaction proceeds quickly with conversion of greater than 97% after 15 to 20 min. Some geometric isomerization of the linolenic acids was observed at reaction temperatures as low as 250 deg C. Reactions carried out at higher temperatures and pressures, up to the critical point of water, were unsatisfactory due to degradation, pyrolysis or polymerization, of the oils and resultant fatty acids. These results are being used to construct and implement a continuous flow reactor system that could be used for larger scale industrial implementation.