Effect of Crystallization Temperature of Palm Oil on its Crystallization. II. Binary Systems of 1, 3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol (POP) and 1, 2-dioleoyl-3-palmitoyl-glycerol (POO)

Abstract

The crystallization of Palm Oil and the thermal features of this process were examined. The manner in which Palm Oil crystals melted was noted to differ significantly with temperature, particularly in the case of crystallization at 10°C. Triacylglycerin in Palm Oil is comprised of POP (1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol) at 30% and POO (1,2-dioleoyl-3-palmitoyl-glycerol) at 20%. Examination was thus made of the crystallization of pure POP and POO and a mixture of these by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). DSC patterns of the POP/POO (60/40) mixture and Palm Oil crystallized at 10°C were noted to be essentially the same. The mixture crystallized at 10°C showed 64 Å and 43 Å spacings by XRD, thus indicating triple-chain length and double-chain length structures to be present only in crystals formed at 10°C while only the double-chain length structure to be present in crystals produced of other temperatures. These findings would possible be explanation for variation in triacylglycerin content in crystals and why the POP/POO (60/40) mixture behaves in the manner of Palm Oil.