Thermal Reaction of Safflower Oil Fatty Acids and Methyl Esters in the Presence of Magnesium Iodide

Abstract

Thermal reaction of safflower oil fatty acids in the presence of magnesium iodide was studied under the following reaction conditions : concentration of magnesium ioeide 5, 2.5, and 1 wt%, temperature 200°C; concentration of magnesium iodide 5 wt%, temperature 180, 160, and 140°C. The conjugation and monoenoic acid formation reactions using fatty acids proceeded more remarkable than those in the case of safflower oil under the same reaction conditions. The maximum amounts of conjugated and monoenoic acids formed from fatty acids under above reaction conditions were 53 and 73%, respectively. When methyl ester of safflower oil fatty acids were heated in the presence of 5 wt% of magnesium iodide at 200°C, the conjugation reaction did not take place. In order to clarify the reason why conjugation reaction does not take place using methyl ester as a starting material, substances formed by heating methyl oleate as well as methyl esters of safflower oil fatty acids with magnesium iodide were examined. As a result of analyses of substances formed, it was found that methyl iodide and magnesium soap were formed. When methyl ester was heated with magnesium iodide, methyl iodide and magnesium soap were formed without the liberation of iodine from magnesium iodide. It is considered that the absence of liberated iodine in the reaction mixture results in none of conjugation reaction.