Use in Unsaturated Oil Hydrogenation

Introduction

It has long been recognized that saturated fats tend to increase the level of the "bad" LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. An elevated LDL Cholesterol increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.Monounsaturated (having one double bond in their molecules) and polyunsaturated fats (having two or more double bonds in their molecules) found primarily in vegetable oils tend to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. 

 

Way back in the 1950s it was recognized that vegetable oils could be substituted for animal fats such as in butter, by making a product we know as margarine. Vegetable oils which contain more unsaturated fatty acids are liquids while saturated fatty acids are solids. But how do you convert an oil into a solid? It is here that hydrogen comes in, through a process known as hydrogenation.  

Read also: Hydrogen purifier for float glass manufacturing by MVS

The Hydrogenation Reaction

Unsaturated fatty acids may be converted to saturated fatty acids by the relatively simple hydrogenation reaction. Recall that the addition of hydrogen to an alkene (unsaturated) results in an alkane (saturated).

A simple hydrogenation reaction is:

H2C=CH2 + H2 ---> CH3CH3

Alkene plus hydrogen yields an alkane.

Apart from making margarine, which is healthier than most oils, saturated or unsaturated, hydrogen is also used to manufacture trans-fat through the process of hydrogenation, which, although used a lot in food processing, is bad for health as they increase the amount of bad LDL cholesterol and lower good HDL cholesterol in the body. 

Hydrogen plants and hydrogen generators are common in facilities where hydrogenated vegetable oil is manufactured, as it provides cost-efficiency, saves time and also provides ease of access.