GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY OF TRIACYLGLYCEROLS IN PALM OIL FRACTIONS WITH MEDIUM-POLARITY WIDE-BORE COLUMNS

Wide-bore (WBOT, 0.53 mm i.d.) capillary columns, operated with helium carrier gas, are a viable alternative to narrow-bore (0.25 mm i.d.) equivalents operated with hydrogen carrier gas in high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) of triacylglycerols (TAG). Resolution and quantitation proved to be similar for the two types of columns. WBOT HRGC with automatic cold-on-column injection has strong potential for precise real-time control of oils and fats processing and offers a reliable approach to automated HRGC of TAG. The technique has been used to characterize palm oil and palm oil fractions.