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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322663
Research Project: Domestic Production of Natural Rubber and Industrial Seed Oils

Location: Bioproducts Research

Title: Introduction to industrial crops

Author
item McKeon, Thomas
item HAYES, DOUGLAS - University Of Tennessee
item HILDEBRAND, DAVID - University Of Kentucky
item WESELAKE, RANDALL - University Of Alberta

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2015
Publication Date: 3/2/2016
Citation: McKeon, T.A., Hayes, D.G., Hildebrand, D.H., Weselake, R.J. 2016. Introduction to industrial crops. In: McKeon, T.A., Hayes, D.G., Hildebrand, D.F., Weselake, R.J., editors. Industrial Oil Crops. Waltham, MA: Elsevier Academic Press and Urbana, IL: AOCS Press. p. 1-13.

Interpretive Summary: While vegetable oils are usually thought of as food, even food-use oils may be used for non-food purposes, e.g., coconut oil for soap. There are some oils whose primary use is non-food, or industrial. Such oils have different fatty acids that make the oil uniquely useful for industry. Examples include castor oil commonly used in greases, surfactants and as a chemical feedstock for polymer production, tung oil used in paints and coatings, and jojoba oil used in cosmetics but having potential for use in high-pressure lubricants. Increased production of these oils can help to replace products currently derived from petroleum. This book describes a number of oils that are useful for industrial applications, summarizing their current status.

Technical Abstract: While any seed oil can fill certain non-food applications, there are hundreds of seed oils containing a different complement of fatty acids that impart physical and chemical properties making the oil and associated fatty acids especially useful for industrial and other non-food uses. These differences may lie in chain length, degree or nature of unsaturation, or the presence of unusual functional groups on the fatty acid chain. While some of these oils are also valued for food, such as coconut (Cocos nucifera) (Chapter 9) and palm kernel oils with high laurate (12:0) content, and linseed oil with high linolenate content, there are other oils with no nutritive value such as castor oil which is composed of 90% ricinoleate (12-OH 18:1-cis 9) and tung oil (Aleurites fordii) which is composed of 80% eleostearate (18:3cis 9, 11-trans, 13-trans). These oils are uniquely valuable for industrial applications due to their chemical structure. This book will provide descriptions and uses of the most important and widely used of these oils and examine progress in expanding production of some industrial oil crops.