Hydrogenation process

Hydrogenation is a major type of chemical process. Hydrogenation of triglyceride oils may be defined as the reaction of the carbon-carbon double bonds of the fatty acids with hydrogen. The reaction is carried out in the presence of a catalyst, to form a solid or semi-solid mixture.

Consequently the fatty acid become saturated and thus, less prone to oxidation and attain a high melting point.

The first patent for the hydrogenation process was by William Norman in 1903. The process has affected the whole food industry because the lipid by-product from the manufacture of high-protein feeds from soybeans, cottonseeds, etc.

The hydrogenation process is an important tool for the edible fats and oils processor. With hydrogenation, liquid oils can be converted into plastic or hard fats more suitable for a particular food product.

The purpose to hydrogenate fat or oil:
*To change the physical form for product functionality improvement
*To improve oxidative stability

It is a complex process, requiring the right catalyst type and quantity, the right combination of process conditions and the optimum processing time, reflecting upstream and downstream, capacity; it is mass transfer limited.

Hydrogenation is used to convert liquid oils to semi-solid plastic fats that are suitable for margarine, shortening and specialty products.
Hydrogenation process