THERMAL-ANALYSIS OF FAILED-BATCH PALM OIL BY DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETRY

Thermal behavior of palm oil samples drawn from the batch crystallizer s that failed during crystallization and of a control oil that was dra wn from a batch that produced good crystallization were analyzed by di fferential scanning calorimetry under constant heating and cooling con ditions. Four polymorphs-beta'(2), alpha, beta'(1), and beta(1)-were o bserved, and their temperatures were tabulated. A rapid and sudden sur ge of heat demand was observed for samples from failed crystallizers. Less supercooling values were obtained from the control oil compared t o the higher values for samples from failed crystallizers. In crystall ization thermograms, a sharp high-temperature exotherm (high-T peak) a nd a broad low-temperature exotherm (low-T peak) were observed. Low-T peaks were found almost invariably stationary at -5.1 to -5.6 degrees C, and high-T peaks varied depending on the saturation level of the oi l. A new peak, sandwiched between the high-T and low-T peaks, was obse rved for the control oil.