Transformation of fatty acid esters into saturated hydrocarbon mixtures

TRANSFORMATION OF FATTY ACID ESTERS INTO SATURATED HYDROCARBON MIXTURES 

For the structural analysis of cyclic fatty acid derivatives (polymerized drying oils, copolymerization products of fatty oils with various hydrocarbons), in principle the same graphical methods can be developed as have been described for the investigation of hydrocarbon mixtures. However, the construction of useful graphical representations is hampered by the fact that reliable data on physical constants are restricted to the normal saturated fatty acids and their methyl and ethyl esters the synthesis of pure unsaturated fatty acids is already extremely difficult, to say nothing of more complicated cyclic or branched compounds. 

The direct hydrogenation to deoxidize fatty acid esters results in hydrocarbons with one carbon atom less than the number present in the hydrocarbon chain of the original ester. The reaction can be carried out quantitatively, but it is a relatively drastic chemical operation. In the Grignard method the hydrocarbon chain of the molecule is lengthened the reactions are executed at relatively low temperatures the overall yield amounts to 70-90% of the theory. 

ANALYSIS OF COPOLYMERIZATION-PRODUCT OF STYRENE WITH METHYL LINOLEATE 

In the low temperature polymerization of these esters by the action of hydrogen atoms at room temperature cyclization is, on the contrary, of little importance66. Thus 

---