ABSTRACT
Linoleic acid, is the main fatty acid found in vegetable oils such as soybean oil, corn oil and rapeseed oil. Linoleic acid has 18 carbons in its chain. The carbon next to the carbonyl is labeled α and the others are labeled sequentially by Greek letters. Linoleic acid belongs to one of the two classes of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) that humans require. These acids are called ‘essential’ because they are needed by the human body but cannot be synthesized from smaller components. If a person does not eat sufficient amounts of these EFAs, they may start to suffer symptoms such as dry hair, hair loss and poor wound healing. In order to convert the liquid linoleic oil into soft solid margarine, hydrogen is bubbled through the oil in the presence of a nickel catalyst under fairly mild conditions.
