Vegetable oils and their derivatives

This chapter discusses the importance of vegetable oils and their products. It reviews the classification, extraction and purification processes, providing notes on some of the important vegetable oils, including characterisation techniques and structure–property relationships. A case study on heat treatment of non-drying oils and its consequences is included. The chapter also emphasises the important oleo-chemicals and their applications. Vegetable oils are important as raw materials for many industrial products. A large number of industrial products can be obtained from vegetable oils, such as consumer items like soaps, skin products, candles, perfumes and other personal care and cosmetic products, biodegradable hydraulic fluid and lubricant, alternative fuel for diesel engines, non-ionic surfactants, emulsifying, thickening and plasticising agents, pesticides and fungicides, oleochemicals and different polymers.