In Nature, fats and oils are found in various forms ranging from soft (animal fats) to liquid (vegetable oils). In some applications, a more saturated version is needed for requirements such as melting point, lubricity, viscosity, or oxidation or polymerization stability. We use catalytic hydrogenation or partial hydrogenation to modify fats and oils into a more saturated solid form. For example, liquid soybean oil can be hydrogenated into hydrogenated soywax used as a substitute for petroleum-based paraffin to produce cleaner burning candles made from this renewable, sustainable feedstock. Solid or paste-form hydrogenated products are used as timed-release coatings for fertilizer and as buffing and polishing compounds for metalworking.
Addiitonally, we use fatty acids, either in pure form or in glyceride form, to react with alcohols to produce a family of fats and oils derivatives known as Fatty Acid Esters. For example, the ester produced when methanol is reacted with coconut oil is known as methyl coconate and is highly stable when used as a lubricant in cutting oils and polishing compounds. The methanol ester of tall oil fatty acids, a byproduct oil recovered from tree pulp and paper processing, is a perfect lubricant for the high heat application of rolling aluminum into thin sheets for soft drink cans. Chemol can design specific product characteristics by matching various alcohols with selected fatty acid or natural fats and oils to create solutions for various formulation applications.
Our two lines of oleochemicals, Carowax and Carolube, are segmented as follows: