Low-trans Shortening and Spread Fats Produced by Electrochemical Hydrogenation

Developing electrochemical hydrogenation towards industrial application

Electrochemical hydrogenation reactions gained significant attention as a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional thermocatalytic hydrogenations. This tutorial review provides a comprehensive overview of the basic principles, the practical application, and recent advances of electrochemical hydrogenation reactions, with a particular emphasis on the translation of these reactions from lab-scale to industrial applications. Giving an overview on the vast amount of conceivable organic substrates and tested catalysts, we highlight the challenges associated with upscaling electrochemical hydrogenations, such as mass transfer limitations and reactor design. Strategies and techniques for addressing these challenges are discussed, including the development of novel catalysts and the implementation of scalable and innovative cell concepts. We furthermore present an outlook on current challenges, future prospects, and research directions for achieving widespread industrial implementation of electrochemical hydrogenation reactions. This work aims to provide beginners as well as experienced electrochemists with a starting point into the potential future transformation of electrochemical hydrogenations from a laboratory curiosity to a viable technology for sustainable chemical synthesis on an industrial scale.

Study on the Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Soybean Oil under H2 Conditions

The solubility of H₂ in electrolytes, H₂ reaction consumption and the conductivity of electrolytes under different pressures in an electrochemical hydrogenation reactor were studied. It was found that with an increase in H₂ pressure, H₂ was electrolyzed at the anode, accompanied by the generation of H⁺. The solubility of H₂ in the electrolytes and the conductivity of the electrolytes also increased. At first, the reaction consumption increased, followed by a tendency to be stable at 3 MPa. Therefore, the electrochemical hydrogenation of soybean oil was carried out at a H₂ pressure of 3 MPa. When the current was 120 mA, the temperature was 50°C, the agitation speed was 300 rpm, and the time was 7.5 h, the IV of hydrogenated soybean oil was 99.6 g I₂/100 g oil, and the TFA content of the oil was 4.3%.

Comparative hydrogenation of the sunflower oil on platinum and nickel catalysts

The paper considers the diatomite-supported platinum catalyst (1.0 wt% Pt/D) synthesized using colloid adsorption method. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption (BET), scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The activity of the platinum catalyst was investigated by sunflower hydrogenation at 0.5 MPa hydrogen pressure at temperature range from 90°C to 130°C and compared to a commercial Ni catalyst. All of the hydrogenation reactions were terminated at iodine value between approximately 72-86. The results demonstrated that Pt/diatomite catalyst exhibited the highest activity and selectivity at low temperature than the Ni catalyst in hydrogenation processes. Physical characteristics of hydrogenated products such as melting point and solid fat content were also examined.

Challenges of utilizing healthy fats in foods

Over the past few decades, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans has consistently recommended that consumers decrease consumption of saturated fatty acids due to the correlation of saturated fatty acid intake with coronary artery disease. This recommendation has not been easy to achieve because saturated fatty acids play an important role in the quality, shelf life, and acceptability of foods. This is because solid fats are critical to producing desirable textures (e.g., creaminess, lubrication, and melt-away properties) and are important in the structure of foods such as frozen desserts, baked goods, and confectionary products. In addition, replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated fats is limited by their susceptibility to oxidative rancidity, which decreases product shelf life, causes destruction of vitamins, and forms potentially toxic compounds. This article will discuss the fundamental chemical and physical properties in fats and how these properties affect food texture, structure, flavor, and susceptibility to degradation. The current sources of solid fats will be reviewed and potential replacements for solid fats will be discussed.