HIGH OLEIC OILS BY SELECTIVE HYDROGENATION OF SOYBEAN OIL

High oleic (monoene) oils were obtained from soybean oil by selective hydrogenation with copper catalysts. A mixture of nickel and copper chromite catalyst had activity suitable for producing the high monoene oils. A new catalyst (copper-on-Cab-O-Sil) prepared in the Laboratory was more active than commercial copper catalysts. Hydrogenated oils contained 61-72% monoenoic and 14-24% dienoic acids, and there was essentially no increase in stearic acid. The trans-isomer content of these oils varied between 17% to 32%. Double bonds in the monoene were distributed along the molecule from C6 to C15, but were located preferentially in the C9 position for the cis-monoene and in the C10 and C11 positions for the trans-monoene. When the iodine value of these high monoene oils was about 90-95, they remained liquid above 28 C. Citric acid treatment reduced the copper content of hydrogenated oils to a level that was comparable to that of the original soybean oil. © 1969 AOCS Press.