Historical Perspectives on the Chemistry of Fats and Oils
Hot Topic Symposium
Tuesday, May 5
9:15 am-10:45 am
Organizer: G. Knothe, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USA.
This symposium is not targeted toward a specific division or interest group. Instead, the topic is aimed at all those who would like to take the centennial of AOCS as a time to reflect on the past of the Society and the field of oleochemistry.
Presentations
From Paquin to Purtle: 100 Years of AOCS.
George Willhite, AOCS Honorary Member, USA.AOCS’s growth from a gathering of nine cottonseed product analysts in 1909 to the international Society it is today is the result of efforts by hundreds of individuals through the decades. This talk will highlight contributions by more than a dozen AOCS leaders during the past 100 years, including Felix Paquin, Frank Smalley, H.B. Battle, A.E. Bailey, A.R. Baldwin, Steve Chang, and Jim Lyon, complementing the historical series that has appeared in inform and the displays in the Expo Hall during AOCS’s centennial celebration meeting.
The AOCS Publications: A 100-Year History.
J. Kenar, USDA, ARS, NCAUR, USA.The growth of societies and its associated publications is an indicator of how chemistry, a society such as AOCS, and the fats and oils industry have grown over time. During the late 18th century a shift from monographs to chemical periodicals occurred. Since then journals have been the preferred medium for conveying chemical knowledge and settling controversies. From the beginnings of AOCS, communication between society members through its periodicals has been a key feature in its growth and dissemination of chemical knowledge. Herein we take a historical and hopefully enlightening peek at the progress and developments within AOCS over the past 100 years that have shaped the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JAOCS) and paved the path to the creation of its sister journals (Lipids and the Journal of Surfactants and Detergents). The chemical literature and knowledge
held within the pages of JAOCS journals hold interesting facts about the dilemmas, accomplishments, and times of the AOCS and its members. What will the future hold for JAOCS and AOCS in light of today’s issues? I am not sure, but it should be an interesting ride.
History of Oleochemicals over the Past Century.
G.R. List, Consultant, USA.A history of the oleochemical industry from an AOCS perspective. Although the Twitchell process for fat splitting was patented in 1898, some four decades would pass before the oleochemical industry began to grow. A key player was Ralph Potts, whose pioneering work in the mid-1930’s earned him the title “father of the oleochemical industy.” This presentation will highlight his numerous contributions to the oleochemical industry.
Vegetable Oil-Based Diesel Fuels from 1900 to the Present.
G. Knothe, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USA.The diesel engine, invented and developed by Rudolf Diesel in the 1890s, was displayed at the Paris World Exposition in 1900. At that occasion, one of the diesel engines displayed ran on peanut oil. This event marks the beginning of the use of vegetable oils, and later, derivatives thereof as diesel fuel. Research in this area was conducted in the 1920s through approximately the late 1940s. In 1937, the first biodiesel fuel, ethyl esters of palm oil, was
described in a Belgian patent. Research and use of vegetable oil-based fuels were largely dormant in the age of petroleum through the mid- to late 1970s. Sparked by the petroleum crises of the 1970's and early 1980's, vegetable oils were rediscovered as fuels. Now alkyl esters of vegetable oils, known as biodiesel, are the most common form of vegetable oil-based diesel fuels. In recent times, issues such as fuel properties and quality, feedstock supply and diversity beyond the use of "classic" vegetable oils as fuel source, energy security, economics, and environmental aspects have increasingly influenced the biodiesel market. A brief outline of these developments will be given.
AOCS Related Products
AOCS has the following products related to this hot topic. Stop by the AOCS Press Bookstore while you are at the 100th AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo to receive special Annual Meeting Only discounts or order the product online at the AOCS Store.A Chemical Study of Oils and Fats of Animal Origin, M. E. Chevreul; Translated and annotated by: A. J. Dijkstra; Editors: G. R. List and J. Wisniak, 2009. Product Code #251.
Fats and Oils Handbook, Michael Bockisch, 1st edition, 1998 , Product Code #115.
Introduction to Fats and Oils, Richard D. O'Brien, Walter Farr, and Peter J. Wan, 2nd edition, 2000, Product Code #142