Questions begging for answers (Part III) – Interesterification

The interesterification mechanism that assumed the diacylglycerolate anion to be the only catalytically active intermediate has been unchallenged for some forty years. Then, I listed a number of observations that could not be explained by the glycerolate mechanism and proposed a new one in which the enolate anion is the main catalytic intermediate. After independent support had been provided, this enolate mechanism was published as a ’hypothesis paper' [1]. This new mechanism raises further questions but it also shows that it should be possible to reduce the yield loss, which at the moment is the largest cost element of the process, to a possibly negative value. That would make the process far more attractive and could encourage the development of interesterified hardstock to replace partially hydrogenated fats.