Coconut oil

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)

Coconut oil or coconut oil, also called coconut oil is a solid at room temperature, white to whitish- yellow vegetable oil from copra, the endosperm of the coconut (fruit of the coconut palm ), is obtained. It is characterized by a very high proportion of saturated fatty acids. Coconut oil is used in cooking, especially for baking, frying, next in the confectionery industry, for pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes and as a feedstock for the oleochemical industry.

Properties

Coconut oil has a white to yellowish color. It smells mild, waxy and fresh with a slight coconut note. Although this oil is quite stable in storage because of its high content of saturated fatty acids, coconut oil smells often rancid. Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature of vegetable oil having a melting point range of the smoke is approximately 20 to 25 ° C, at about 194 ° C and a flashpoint of 288 ° C.

As coconut oil absorbs considerable heat of fusion during the melting, it produces a higher cooling effect in the mouth - that utilizes, inter alia, the confectionery in the production of ice confection. The melting point is lower than the body temperature, is thus not described how often the reason for the cooling effect, but a necessary condition.

Composition

Coconut oil consisting mainly of triglycerides containing saturated fatty acid residues are derived from caprylic, lauric, capric, palmitic, stearic and myristic acid. Further containing triglycerides as the fatty acid residue of the monounsaturated oleic acid residue, as well as trace amounts of calcium, potassium, sodium, copper, iron, phosphorus, amino acids, vitamin E, and lactones. If, however, refined the oil, the vitamin E. disappears

History

Although coconut palms are cultivated in the Malay Archipelago since 3000 to 4000 years, they obtained only in the 19th century major economic importance to the layout of plantations in Ceylon by the Dutch. Today, the cultivation of coconut trees extends to the world's tropical zones in coastal areas and along river banks. Much of the fruit is consumed locally, the main producing countries include Indonesia, the Philippines and India. Use of copra has increased significantly in recent decades, the coconut production has doubled since 1980.

Today, the coconut palm covers eight percent of the demand for vegetable oil in the world. Among the important coconut oil producers are the Netherlands, France and Germany, the import copra as raw material. The United States imports mainly finished coconut oil.

Collection and storage

For the production of coconut oil from the coconut (fruit of the coconut palm ) is crushed, the pulp also called copra and dried. This is pressed into oil mills. Before being used as cooking fat, the oil is refined and deodorized. Chilled coconut oil can be stored for one to two years.

Use

Coconut oil is versatile use in the preparation of food, in the production of cosmetics, technology and industry.

In the kitchen

Coconut oil can be used as hocherhitzbares oil for cooking, frying and baking, because it is solid at room temperature while, but is very fast liquid because of its low melting point when heat is supplied. In melting, it takes a substantial heat of fusion, which produces a higher cooling effect in the mouth. Therefore, it is used for the production of ice confection. In addition, coconut oil is used in the food industry for the manufacture of margarines and confectionery, as well as the costs incurred in the pressing grated coconut. In Germany coconut oil is marketed under the brand name palmin since 1894. In addition, unprocessed coconut oil can also be used directly as fat spread.

In cosmetics

Due to the presence of lauric acid Coconut oil is one of the lauric oils. The properties of lauric acid make it the baseline for the production of shampoo, shaving soap, sunscreen and after-sun products, bath and massage oil, cream, soap and other detergents. Coconut oil (oleum cocos ) shows a moisturizing effect and has a cooling effect, but hardly penetrates into the skin.

In the technology and industry

Also in this area the oil is versatile for use. So it is used in the confectionery industry because of its cooling effect in the manufacture of ice cream, waffle fillings and coating compositions. Moreover, in the production of vegetable margarine and chocolate. The obtained during the refining fatty acids used in the manufacture of synthetic resins, insecticides and drugs use. Moreover, coconut oil may be further processed to higher saturated and unsaturated fatty alcohols, fatty alcohol sulfates and other alcohol derivatives. It is also suitable for the production of soaps and candles. Due to the high content of lauric acid Coconut oil is also an important raw material for surfactants. Finally, from the Caprylsäuremethylester and octyl alcohol contained in the oil or octyl are obtained, which is used as an additive in soaps and candles.

Another positive feature of coconut oil is that it can be transesterified in a chemical process with methanol and in pure form (fatty acid methyl ester) is applicable as biodiesel or blended with diesel fuel. This is mainly due to the running out walking from petroleum and other fossil fuels is important. In the Philippines, fatty acid methyl esters for this purpose is already being produced in large quantities.

Valuable as sugar, protein and mineral source for the production of animal feed, in turn, is used to press- radical formed in the oil.