Fatty acid ester

Fatty acid esters are a large group of substances of organic chemical compounds which contain an ester group from the fatty acids - long-chain carboxylic acids - derived, and thus belong to the carboxylic acid esters.

Occurrence

Fats and Oils - widely distributed in nature and often used as a food - are fatty acid esters, more triglycerides, ie triesters of trivalent alcohol glycerol.

The fatty acid residues in the triglycerides may be the same or different. Major component of beeswax, saturated fatty acid ester of cerotic acid and palmitic acid, a fatty alcohol with the molecular formula C30H62O. Cholesterol is transported and stored in the human body as fatty acid esters.

Production

Fatty acid esters, which are not triesters of glycerol, are predominantly produced from naturally occurring fats and oils. The major fatty acid esters are the methyl esters of the fatty acids that are synthesized by transesterification of triglycerides.

Use

Natural products, which have considerable importance as food, for example, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil. - The saponification of natural fats and oils with sodium hydroxide yields sodium soap ( bar soap ), which is used as detergents and cosmetics widely used. In addition, falls onto glycerol. The catalytic hydrogenation of triglycerides yields glycerol and fatty alcohols. The latter are an important raw material for the synthesis of surfactants for cosmetic applications. Mixtures of fatty acid methyl esters ( FAME) to be buried as biodiesel or diesel fuel.

Sucrose esters of fatty acids are used as emulsifiers or a flour treatment agent in baked goods (cakes, puff pastry ), and among other things, for confectionery, ice cream, alcoholic and non- alcoholic beverages ( prohibited except beer and wine, as this specific legal regulations) and for the surface treatment of fruit used. In the EU sugar esters of fatty acids as a food additive under the number E 473 are authorized.

Mono -and diglycerides of edible fatty acids are mainly used as emulsifiers in the production of bakery and confectionery products, chocolate products, margarine, infant formula, cocoa powder, milk powder, mashed potatoes, rice and pasta.