6818. Oil Palm

Nomenclature

African oil palm.

Description and references

Tropical tree, Elaeis guineensis Jacq., Arecaceae (alt. Palmae), bearing large bunches of plum-sized fruit. Grown primarily for the edible oils obtained from the fruit and seed. Habit. West Africa, Malaysia. The closely related American oil palm, E. oleifera (Kunth) Cortés, is grown in Central and South America and is also used. Review of cultivation, oil production, characteristics and uses: J. A. Cornelius, Prog. Chem. Fats Other Lipids 15, 5-27 (1977); Y. Basiron, J. Oleo Sci. 50, 295-303 (2001). Review of safety assessment of oils: W. Johnson, Jr., Int. J. Toxicol. 19, Suppl. 2, 7-28 (2000).

Derivative

Palm oil.

Nomenclature

CAS number: 8002-75-3

Description and references

Obtained from the fleshy orange-red mesocarp of the fruit. Constit. Fatty acids, primarily palmitic (44%), oleic (39%), and linoleic (10%); carotenoids, esp. α- and β-carotene; tocopherols, esp. γ-tocotrienol; sterols, esp. β-sitosterol. May be refined to remove color and odor components and separated into olein and stearin fractions. Review of biochemistry, toxicology and role in nutrition: D. O. Edem, Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 57, 319-341 (2002).

Properties

Crude oil is deep orange in color with characteristic sweetish odor. Semisolid at 21-27°; mp 27-50°. d5025 0.89-0.92. n40D 1.453-1.459. Sapon. no. 196-209. Iodine no. 46-60.

Derivative

Palm olein.

Properties

Liquid oil, mp 21.6°. d50 0.91-0.92. n 1.47. Sapon. no. 189-198.0. Iodine no. 55.0-61.54.

Derivative

Palm stearin.

Properties

Solid, mp 44.5-56.2°. d50 0.88-0.89. n 1.45. Sapon. no. 193-206. Iodine no. 21.6-49.4.

Derivative

Palm kernel oil.

Nomenclature

CAS number: 8023-79-8

Description and references

Obtained from seed by mechanical expression or solvent extraction. Constit. Fatty acids, primarily lauric (48%), myristic (16%) and oleic (15%); sterols, esp. β-sitosterol; triterpene alcohols; hydrocarbons. Review of properties and uses: T. P. Pantzaris, M. J. Ahmed, Palm Oil Devel. 35, 1123 (2001).

Properties

Colorless to brownish yellow oil, solidifying to a white to yellowish fat. Crude oil has a strong, characteristic taste and odor and is most often refined before use. mp 25-30°. d4025 0.900-0.913. nD40 1.4495-1.4515. Sapon. no. 244-254. Iodine no. 14-20.

Use

Cooking and frying oil. In margarines, shortenings, non-dairy creamers, whipping creams; as cocoa butter substitute. In manuf of soaps, oleochemicals. In cosmetics, personal care products as skin conditioner, viscosity increasing agent, solvent.