Selective hydrogenation of fatty acid methyl esters on palladium catalysts supported on carbon-coated monoliths

摘要

Edible oils are mainly composed of complex mixtures of fatty acid esters in triglyceride form, usually of different degrees of unsaturation. The aim of their partial Hydrogenation is a certain reduction in the amount of poly-unsaturates, while avoiding formation of saturates or of trans products. In recent years the negative health effects of trans fats have received increasing attention, and are considered to be even more detrimental than saturated fats [1]. As a consequence there is growing interest in new hydrogenation processes that reduce the amount of trans fats formed, e.g. supercritical hydrogenation [2] and the use of structured packings or monoliths [3]. On the other hand, carbon materials have important chemical and textural surface properties for the use as catalytic supports [4]. The aim of this work is to display that activated carbon on monolithic structures shows attractive performance as catalytic support in the selective hydrogenation of vegetable oils.