CHARACTERIZATION OF PALM ACID OIL

Palm acid oil (PAO) is a by-product obtained from the alkaline refinin g of palm oil. It is used for making laundry soaps and for producing c alcium soaps for animal feed formulations, The properties and composit ion of PAO may differ according to variations in the palm oil feedstoc k and the alkaline refining process. Because information on the charac teristics of PAO is limited, this investigation aims to establish the properties of this product. Quality and oxidative parameters of 27 sam ples of PAO were determined. The six parameters analyzed were moisture and free fatty acid content, peroxide value, iodine value, saponifica tion value and unsaponifiable matter. Headspace-gas-chromatographic (H SGC) analysis and gas chromatographic analysis of the extract from Lik ens-Nickerson steam distillation of the samples were also carried out. Mean moisture content was 0.98%, free fatty acids 62.6% (palmitic aci d), peroxide value 4.1 meq/kg, iodine value 50.2, saponification value 186 and unsaponifiable matter 0.53. HSGC profiles of a few samples sh owed the presence of one to three peaks, while the steam distillation extract showed the presence of aldehydes, ketones, furans and acids.