PRODUCTION OF FATTY ACID FROM DISTILLATE FOR DEACIDIFICATION FROM ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE OIL AND FAT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a high-quality fatty acid excellent in hue, high in heat resistance and slight in smell, by treating a distillate for deacidification, produced in purification of animal and vegetable oils and fats, under specific conditions at high temperature under high pressure. SOLUTION: A distillate for deacidification occurring in purification of animal and vegetable oils and fats (preferably palm oil or palm kernel oil) is heat- treated in the presence (or absence) of water at 200-300 deg.C for 0.5-5 hours under pressure. Preferably, the high-temperature treatment under pressure is carried out in the presence of water of 0.2-1.5 times as much as the distillate for deacidification in an inert gas atmosphere at 240-270 deg.C under 20-60 kg/cm<2> pressure for 1-4 hours. Before or after the high-temperature treatment under pressure is performed, preferably the distillate for deacidification is hydrogenated and/or distilled. The hydrogenation is preferably carried out by using both a nickel catalyst and a palladium catalyst in the presence of zinc powder at 150-220 deg.C under 0.1-50kg/cm2 for 10 minutes to 5 hours. Preferably, the distillation is performed under reduced pressure in the presence of zinc powder.