Processing for industrial fatty acids ‐ II

Abstract

AbstractFatty acids are produced industrially from tallow, palm oil, palm stearin, palm kernel oil and coconut oil. The current and future supply situations of these raw materials and market economics favor palm stearin and palm kernel oil as major raw materials for fatty acids. The Malaysian oleochemical industry has adopted high‐temperature and high‐pressure “splitting” of triglycerides. Variations in product yields occurring in the processing of tallow and palm stearin and of coconut oil and palm kernel oil are indicated. Developments on the enzymic hydrolysis of triglycerides to fatty acids have been made, particularly in Japan. Enzymic hydrolysis at low temperature has the advantage of energy conservation compared to the high‐temperature and pressure‐splitting process. But enzymic hydrolysis is only applicable to triglycerides of low titre, such as palm kernel oil.