Standardization of vegetable oils composition to be used as oleochemistry feedstock through a selective hydrogenation process

Selective hydrogenation over pre-reduced 8% Cu/SiO2 catalysts has been carried out on a series of non food oils methylesters. The catalyst shows a very high diene:monoene selectivity, thus allowing one to reduce not only the linolenic component, but also the linoleic one in this way enriching the oil in oleic acid and avoiding a contemporary increase in stearic acid concentration. This treatment improves the oxidation stability of the oil while keeping acceptable viscosity and cold properties and can be used to standardize a wide variety of different available feedstock.