Glycerol → Glyceryl Monobehenate

Participants

Reaction Steps

The preferred source of monoglycerides for use in the esterification process of the present invention is at least about 90%, preferably at least about 95%, and most preferably at least about 98%, pure monobehenin. This preferred monoglyceride can be obtained by hydrolysis of substantially completely hydrogenated (i.e., I.V. about 10 or less) high erucic acid rapeseed oil, solventless fractionation of the resulting fatty acid mixture to provide a behenic fatty acid-enriched fraction, and then esterification of glycerol with this behenic acid-enriched fraction to provide a crude mixture of monoglycerides. This crude monoglyceride mixture can be subsequently purified by molecular distillation, solvent (e.g., ethyl alcohol) crystallization, liquid/liquid extraction or adsorption on a weak acid ion exchange resin to yield a source of monoglycerides having the desired purity monobehenin.

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