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Palmitic acid might be the most influential fatty acid you’ve never heard about. Unassumingly crucial, palmitic acid is a versatile giant in the world of saturated fatty acids, equally at home in your daily products and at the heart of industry applications.
Let’s reveal the facts behind this versatile molecule.
- What is palmitic acid? How is it made?
- Exploring the properties of palmitic acid
- How is palmitic acid used?
- Understanding palmitic acid in cow nutrition
- Palm oil: The premier source of palmitic acid
- GAR’s palmitic acid products: A comparative view
What is palmitic acid? How is it made?
Palmitic acid is a saturated long-chain fatty acid with the chemical formula C16H3202. It is one of the most common saturated fatty acids in animals, plants, and microorganisms. Palmitic acid is named after the oil palm tree. It is a major component of palm oil but is also found in meats, cheeses, butter, and other dairy products.
In commercial production, palmitic acid is derived from vegetable oils and animal fats through a process called hydrolysis. In this process, triglycerides are broken down by water into various fatty acids and glycerol. This is followed by fractionation, in which fatty acids are separated by their melting points.
Do you know?
Palmitic acid was discovered in 1840 by Edmond Fremy in saponified palm oil. During World War II, it was used as part of the gelling agents for napalm, with the word “napalm” actually derived from naphthenic acid and palmitic acid.
Exploring the properties of palmitic acid
Palmitic acid’s biochemistry determines how it works in different products. As a 16-carbon chain fatty acid, it is typically solid at room temperature and does not dissolve much in water. Thanks to its structure, it is a critical component in cell membranes and an essential source of metabolic energy.
Read on through this information to learn more about palmitic acid’s physical, chemical, and biological properties.
How is palmitic acid used?
Palmitic acid is used in various industries:
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Soaps and Detergents
Palmitic acid is a key ingredient in the production of soaps, detergents, and cosmetics. Its stability and abundance make it ideal for saponification in soap-making, yielding a product with good and long-lasting cleaning abilities.
In soap and cosmetic production, palmitic acid is often used due to its ability to be saponified. This process involves treating palmitic acid to yield glycerol and sodium palmitate. This sodium palmitate is used in soaps, cosmetics, and industrial mould release agents for its surfactant properties.
Check out this graphic for a quick explanation of saponification.
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Cosmetics
In cosmetics, it is valued for its emollient and moisturising properties and to stabilise product formulations.
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Petroleum
Palmitic acid is used as an environmentally friendly surfactant for improved oil extraction. It helps alter surface tensions and wetting properties, offering a greener and biodegradable alternative to traditional, often petrochemical-based, surfactants.
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Candle Making
Palmitic acid is sometimes added to candle wax to increase the hardness and opacity of candles.
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Textile Manufacturing
Palmitic acid can be used to make oil and water-repellent finishes for textiles. It is also used to manufacture softening agents applied to fabrics to improve their feel and durability.
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Feed Additives
Palmitic acid has been proven to help increase milk fat production in dairy cattle and make energy-rich supplements that make feed more nutritious.
Understanding palmitic acid in cow nutrition
Palmitic acid is key in dairy cattle nutrition, especially during lactation. Adding it to a cow’s diet ramps up the milk volume and the fat content of milk, raising both the quantity and commercial value of the milk. This fatty acid also makes cows more efficient at turning their feed into energy. Considering that feed costs can account for as much as 70% of total production costs in dairy farming, finding ways to turn feed more effectively into milk can really help a farm’s bottom line.
Looking for ways to boost nutrition for your cattle?
Check out GoNutri Energy, our animal feed supplement range for ruminants.
Packed with palmitic acid, it boosts milk and milk fat production, makes the neutral fibre in feed easier to digest, increases energy, and even improves fertility and body condition.
Palmitic acid acts in a cow’s rumen (stomach) without disrupting the cow’s normal digestion process. This stability means that the rumen’s bacterial balance stays unchanged and that various feed types are broken down in predictable patterns. Palmitic acid is also easy for cows to digest and is naturally present in cows’ milk and meat, making it a safe addition to their diets.
Palm oil: The premier source of palmitic acid
Palm oil tops the list as one of the richest sources of palmitic acid, more so than other vegetable oils.
| Vegetable Oils | Percentage of Palmitic Acid Within (by weight) |
|---|---|
| Palm oil | 44 |
| Palm kernel oil | 8-10 |
| Coconut oil | 8.5-10 |
| Soybean oil | 10 |
| Sunflower oil | 5.5 |
| Cottonseed oil | 22 |
| Groundnut oil | 10 |
Comparison of palmitic acid percentage in vegetable oils1
At the same time, palm oil’s cost-effectiveness and land-use efficiency make palm-derived palmitic acid a compelling alternative compared to other vegetable oil alternatives. With its high volume, cost-effective pricing and all-year-round production (translating to a stable supply), palm-based palmitic acid is a reliable and attractive option in global markets.
The renewable nature of palm-derived palmitic acid also positions it as a more sustainable choice over conventional petrochemicals. This aligns well with the growing consumer inclination towards eco-friendly products and addresses current environmental concerns. By choosing palm-derived palmitic acid, industries are opting for a more economical and reliable source and contributing to more sustainable practices.
Palm-derived palmitic acid has often been scrutinised for the environmental impact of palm oil cultivation. However, the industry’s commitment to responsible, transparent, and sustainable practices has grown significantly. This has led to a significant decline in deforestation linked to palm oil production in 2022, with the most significant falls occurring in supply chains governed by zero-deforestation commitments.
In addition, more palm growers are pursuing sustainability certification, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which sets comprehensive guidelines for sustainable palm oil production. Hence, selecting palm-derived palmitic acid from sustainable producers is crucial.
Sustainability is at the heart of GAR’s operation
Sustainably-produced palm oil requires ambitious commitments on many fronts. In addition to our conservation efforts, GAR is also committed to ensuring that our palm oil operations are deforestation-free, traceable, and benefit the communities we operate in. Delivering against this commitment is how we build a palm oil industry that is both sustainable and responsible.
GAR’s palmitic acid products: A comparative view
GAR offers a versatile range of palmitic acid products catering to diverse industrial needs. This includes both hydrogenated and un-hydrogenated variants of palmitic acids. Here is a quick comparison:
| Hydrogenated | Unhydrogenated | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forms | Palmitic Acid 80-89% | Palmitic Acid 98% | Palmitic Acid 80% | Palmitic Acid 85% / Palmitic Acid 90% / Vegfat |
| Ideal Applications | Applications or formulations that require a higher melting point and solid consistency at room temperature | Applications or formulations that require purity and precise consistency | Applications or formulations where nutritional integrity and/or fluidity is essential | Applications or formulations that require a balance between functionality and natural composition |
| Example of Uses | Soaps, candles, certain types of packaging materials, animal feed | Premium cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food additives, animal feed | Food applications (such as flavour enhancers or non-dairy creamers), soaps, lubricants, chemical blending agent, animal feed | Personal care products, industrial lubricants, animal feed |
Key Differences and Selection Guide
The primary difference between hydrogenated and un-hydrogenated palmitic acid lies in their physical properties. Hydrogenated variants tend to have a higher melting point and altered saturation levels, while un-hydrogenated forms are well-suited to applications where natural composition and nutritional value are prioritised.
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Discover the ideal palm-derived oleochemical fatty acids for your industrial requirements. Click here to explore more and make an informed choice for your needs.
Browse our extensive portfolio of palm-derived fatty acids, fatty alcohols, glycerines, and soap noodles designed to meet each customer’s needs here.
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1 Extracted from:
https://www.fediol.eu/data/fatty%20acids.pdf
