EFFECT OF PORE DIFFUSION ON THE TRIACYLGLYCEROL DISTRIBUTION OF PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED TRIOLEOYLGLYCEROL

Almost pure trioleoylglycerol (O3) was hydrogenated using nickel-on-carrier catalysts of various pore structure under similar conditions. The triacylglycerol distribution of partially hydrogenated products was analyzed by various chromatographic techniques (e.g. thin-layer chromatography, TLC). The results indicated clearly that the pore structure affected product composition (e.g. lower apparent selectivity for a medium-pore compared to a wide-pore catalyst). The hydrogenation process is described by a pore diffusion model which takes into account reaction kinetics, triacylglycerol and hydrogen pore diffusion and hydrogen gas-liquid mass transfer. The hydrogenation is an intrinsically random process.