Low Trans and Saturated Vegetable Oil Hydrogenation over Nanostructured Pd/Silica Catalysts: Process Parameters and Mass-Transfer Features Effects

Abstract

Sunflower and canola oils were hydrogenated over a novel Pd catalyst and a commercial N catalyst. The Pd catalyst consisted of palladium nanoparticles highly dispersed on mesostructured silica material. The effect of temperature (80−130 °C) and H2 pressure (3.6−9.3 atm) on the activity, selectivity, and trans (TFA) and saturated (SFA) fatty acids formation were studied for both oils and types of catalysts. It was found that the reaction temperature and the hydrogen pressure increased the activity of both catalysts and controlled the solubility of hydrogen and the cis/trans isomerization. The Pd catalyst exhibited a greater selectivity toward the formation of monoene in comparison to the commercial Ni catalyst. Partial hydrogenation of both oils from initial iodine (IVo) value of 120−130 to a final IV of 90 with the nanostructured Pd catalyst using a conventional stirred reactor equipped with a surface aeration turbine-type impeller yielded modified oils with low TFA level (7−10%) and also controlled the formation SFA (∼7%) under mild process conditions. Further reduction of TFA level was achieved when the hydrogenation of vegetable oils over Pd catalyst was carried out with a reactor equipped with a gas-inducing sparger-type impeller having enhanced mass-transfer features. Very low TFA (<5%) and SFA (3%) levels were obtained at a final IV value of 92.