Discussion of Palm Oil’s Oleochemical Applications

The oleochemical sector consumes 20% of domestic palm oil. The oleochemical industry is concerned with the extraction of various oleochemical compounds from natural oils, which are widely utilized in surfactants, food, makeup, medicine, papermaking, plastic, rubber, pesticides, and other industries.

The most fundamental oleochemical compounds are fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and glycerin, whereas fatty amines are synthetic products of fatty acids or fatty alcohols. Glycerol is a byproduct of the oil-to-biodiesel conversion process.

Enormous Market Demand of Palm Oil

Palm oil is a bulk vegetable oil with numerous applications. Unlike other oils, palm oil can be separated into products with varying melting points to fulfill diverse purposes, and the separation technology is established, the operation is simple, and the cost is relatively low, which is preferred by businesses.

According to preliminary data, approximately 26% of palm oil utilized in China is in cooking oil, including household cooking oil and dining out oil, 27% in traditional food, 27% in contemporary food business, and 20% in olipid sector. Because palm oil accounts for about half of industrial consumption, it is also known as “Industrial Monosodium Glutamate,” and it plays an indispensable function in the oil industry’s consumption.

Palm Oil “Industrial Monosodium Glutamate”

Because of the carbon chain length compliance, palm oil stearin and palm oil kernel are the key raw materials for the oleochemical sector. It can be loosely classified into two groups based on how it is used.

The first is direct use, such as soap or biodiesel. The alternative method is to extract raw materials like fatty acids, fatty alcohols, glycerin, and so on, and then synthesis new products for usage.

House & personal care and cosmetics are the two most important sectors. Surfactant, food, medicine, paper, plastic, rubber, insecticide, and other sectors are also oil extraction of petrochemical raw materials and final products orientated.

Green Natural Raw Materials

In recent years, the detergent industry, cosmetics, and other downstream industries have grown rapidly, the concept of green and natural has become more deeply rooted in people’s hearts, and the products show a trend of diversification, implying that the demand for oil and chemical industry will also grow in the future.

In comparison to other raw materials, palm oil has the following advantages:

• safe

• non-stimulating

• light odor

• good color

• relatively inexpensive

• able to replace animal oil and other raw materials