Hydrogenation is quite simply, the reaction between hydrogen and other compounds in the presence of a catalyst or the addition of hydrogen to an element or a compound. The food industry uses hydrogenation to convert them into solid or semi-solid fats that can be used in spreads, candies, baked goods, and other products like margarine. Vegetable oils are made from polyunsaturated fatty acids, meaning they have more than one carbon-carbon double bond. Hydrogenation eliminates some of these double bonds. In petrochemical processes, hydrogenation is commonly used to convert alkenes and aromatics into saturated alkanes (paraffins) and cycloalkanes (naphthenes). These are less toxic and less reactive, and relevant to liquid fuels that are stored sometimes for long periods in air, saturated hydrocarbons exhibit superior storage properties.
For over 25 years, Lee Enterprises Consulting (LEC) has been assisting clients with matters relating to biofuels, biomaterials, bio-based chemicals, biotechnologies, and feedstocks. With over 150 consultants worldwide, we have diverse expertise and geographical reach to assist in virtually any bioeconomy project. In fact, our bio-based materials and chemicals sections assist clients with a variety of matters involving renewable and bio-based chemicals, renewable hydrogen and natural gas, synthetic biology, biochemical and thermochemical conversions, animal-free products, fermentation, enzymes, catalysts, polymers, bioplastics, and bio-synthetic materials.
Our experts are seasoned professionals with an average of over 30 years of industry experience. A key benefit to LEC is our ability to assemble these professionals into multidisciplinary teams with a single point of contact, allowing us to fully integrate the technical, scientific, and regulatory aspects of a project, and combine them with years of hands-on experience. Please take a look at our experts and the services we provide. Call us at 1+ (501) 833-8511 or email us for further information.
