GAS–LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE TRIGLYCERIDE COMPOSITION OF MOLECULAR DISTILLATES OF BUTTER OIL

Abstract

A quantitative gas–liquid chromatographic analysis of the triglycerides of butter oil and its distillates has shown that molecular distillation can effect a significant fractionation of butterfat. The most volatile 2.5% distillate contained nine triglyceride types (C₂₄–C₄₀), six of which were present in concentrations representing 3- to 20-fold enrichments, when compared with the original oil. Eighty-six percent of the C₃₀and shorter triglycerides occurred in the most volatile fractions, which comprised 5% of the total fat. The residue, which represented 50% by weight of the oil, contained 10 triglyceride types (C₃₆–C₅₄), seven of which were present in concentrations exceeding those in the original oil. This residue contained 93% of the triglycerides longer than C₄₆. The other distillates contained triglycerides the mean molecular weights of which increased with decreasing volatility. In all cases the triglyceride composition of the butter-oil distillates was markedly different from that of butterfat.