Fats and Oils Flashcards

Fats and oils are naturally occurring lipids found in plants and animals, consisting mainly of esters of glycerol and fatty acids.

Fats are solids at room temperature and contain mainly saturated fatty acids, while oils are liquids and contain more unsaturated fatty acids.

They are esters of glycerol (a trihydric alcohol) and long-chain fatty acids, known as glyceryl trialkanoates or triglycerides.

Fatty acids are long-chain carboxylic acids, usually containing 12 to 18 carbon atoms, which can be saturated or unsaturated.

These contain only single C–C bonds in their hydrocarbon chains and are found mainly in animal fats.

They contain one or more C=C double bonds in their hydrocarbon chains and are found in plant oils.

Animal sources (butter, lard, fish oils) and plant sources (palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, soybean oil).

They are insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents, and have no sharp melting point.

The process of converting liquid oils into solid fats by adding hydrogen across the double bonds using a nickel catalyst at 200°C.

Hydrogenation is used in making margarine and vegetable shortening from vegetable oils.

Fat/Oil + H₂ (Ni catalyst, 200°C, 2 atm) → Margarine (solid fat).

The process of boiling fats or oils with alkali (NaOH or KOH) to produce soap and glycerol.

Fat/Oil + 3NaOH → Glycerol + 3RCOONa (soap).

Glycerol (propane-1,2,3-triol), used in making paints, cosmetics, and explosives.

Heating fats or oils with water and concentrated H₂SO₄ produces glycerol and fatty acids.

Glycerol and a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.

Salts of long-chain carboxylic acids, usually sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids.

By leaching ashes to obtain alkaline solution, which is boiled with oils or fats to form soap.

The process of adding NaCl to separate soap from the glycerol solution.

By boiling alkaline solution from burnt plantain peel ashes with palm oil or palm kernel oil.

Substances that remove grease and dirt by emulsifying oils; may be natural (soaps) or synthetic (soapless detergents).

Synthetic products made from petroleum hydrocarbons, often sodium salts of sulfonic acids.

Alkylbenzene is sulfonated with fuming sulfuric acid and neutralized with NaOH to form alkylbenzene sulfonate.

Because they contain branched hydrocarbon chains that resist bacterial breakdown.

Traditional soaps derived from fats and oils; they are biodegradable and safe for the environment.

Because it reacts with Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe³⁺ ions to form insoluble salts.

Because their sulfonates of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe³⁺ are soluble in water.

Soap molecules have a polar head (-COO⁻Na⁺) and a non-polar tail (R = hydrocarbon chain), which emulsify grease and suspend dirt in water.

Soaps are biodegradable and environmentally friendly, while detergents may pollute water.

Soaps are salts of fatty acids and do not lather in hard water, while detergents are salts of sulfonic acids and lather easily.