Pilot-Plant Selective Hydrogenation of Soybean Oil: Activation and Evaluation of Copper-Containing Catalysts

In pilot-plant tests, the linolenate content of soybean oil was reduced to less than 1% without increasing the saturates, by hydrogenation to an IV of about 115 with an active copper-chromite catalyst. The linolenate-linoleate selectivity ratio (KLe/KLo ) was from 9 to 12. Several commercial copper-chromite catalysts were used in hydrogenation tests. The activities of four of five commercial catalysts tested were improved to various degrees by heating in air at 350 C (one was inactive both before and after heating). Examination by differential thermal analysis (DTA) of each catalyst, just as received and then after being heated at 350 C, demonstrated that heating greatly diminished or removed peak areas from the DTA curve. Studies made with one commerical copper-chromium-barium catalyst showed that heating the catalyst was also necessary to gain maximum linolenate-linoleate selectivity in hydrogenating soybean oil.