Hydrocarbons and their Use in Margarine

Hydrocarbons and their Use in Margarine

By Mara O'Grady

17052616

References

Hydrocarbon – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (17/04/14). Retrieved 21/04/14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon

Hydrocarbons – R. Nave. Retrieved 21/04/14

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/organic/hydrocarbon.html

The Hydrogenation of Alkenes – Jim Clark (2004). Retrieved 22/04/14

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/organicprops/alkenes/hydrogenation.html

Hydrogenation Definition – Anne Marie Helmenstine (About.com). Retrieved 23/04/14

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/a/hydrogenation.htm

Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Fats Trans Fat – Virtual Chembook, Elmhurst College, Charles E. Ophardt (2003). Retrieved 23/04/14

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/558hydrogenation.html

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils and Trans Fatty Acids – College of Agricultual Sciences, Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension (2006). Retrieved 23/04/14

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uk093.pdf

Our Spreads – MeadowLea (2013). Retrieved 23/04/14

http://www.meadowlea.com/product-list/Our-Spreads

Butter – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (22/04/14). Retrieved 23/04/14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butter

Fats

Vegetable oil is polyunsaturated, meaning that there are several double bonds present. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are only partially saturated, keeping some number of double or triple bonds between the carbon atoms.

Margarine contains hydrogenated vegetable oil, meaning that there are saturated and unsaturated fats within the product. Saturated fats are known to be “bad fats” for the human body.

Even though in comparison to butter, Meadow Lea products are a healthier option due to lower amounts of saturated fat, it is clear that these as well as trans fats are present in margarine.

Scientists today are looking into how oils can be solidified to make products such as margarine without having to depend on hydrogenation so that the negative effects they cause upon human consumption can be avoided.

Margarine vs. Butter

Hydrocarbons can form straight-chain, branched-chain or cyclic (round) molecules. Carbon tends to form four bonds with surrounding atoms, forming tetrahedral shapes within a hydrocarbon.

Even though saturated and trans fats are contained in margarine, it has been proven to be healthier than butter which in most cases contains 50g of saturated fat per 100g of butter. In fact, unsaturated fats and oils also have potential health benefits, something that needs to be maximised in products.

Meadow Lea Products

The Meadow Lea Margarine Company attempts to promote healthy margarine products to limit saturated fats, however these particles exist inevitably in all their goods.

Meadow Lea's Products

In their main range of products, Meadow Lea Provides 7 different spreads. See the table to the right for information on the amount of saturated and trans fats present in each of these margarines and their comparison to butter.

Alkene

Trans Fats

Alkyne

Hydrogenation

Due to the high temperatures used during the hydrogenation process, carbon double bonds sometimes tend to turn into a “trans” form, which chemically speaking is still unsaturated but is in fact classified in the same category as saturated fats.

Trans fats have been proven to increase cholesterol levels, which leads to an increased risk of heart disease to those that consume it.

Alkane

Different forms of hydrocarbons, known as hydrocarbyls, can be formed by the addition of a functional group (a group of atoms within molecules responsible for certain chemical reactions of a molecule) at the bonds between these elements.

Hydrogenation is a type of reduction reaction which creates the addition of hydrogen within a compound.

Conclusion

The more an organic compound is hydrogenated, the more saturated it becomes, due to the hydrogen atoms that are added to the chemical chain.

This process can be used to turn liquid oils into solid fats, and the fabrication of margarine directly exemplifies the use of this phenomenon.

The compound’s melting point at this stage increases.

Introduction to Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are a type of compound found in abundance on Earth that come in many different forms and sizes. These compounds, although very useful in a variety of ways, can also be unhealthy to the body after the consumption of hydrogenated oil particles. It is from this knowledge that it is important to be conscious of the levels of saturated fats that go into products sold to the public.

A hydrocarbon is an organic compound that consists only of hydrogen and carbon atoms. There are several different forms of hydrocarbons, such as alkanes, alkynes and alkenes, each having their own individual structure. These organic compounds are the simplest forms of their kind, and can be found all over the world, particularly in naturally occurring, unprocessed oil supplies.

Uses

Hydrocarbons can be found in a variety of states, including gases, liquids, waxes and solids. They are useful in the creation of bitumen, combustible fuel sources, fuel for pocket lighters, propellants for aerosol sprays and solvents of wax and grease.

Effects

However, these can be damaging to the human body if excessive inhalation or ingestion of certain hydrocarbon forms takes place, possibly leading to respiratory failure, tissue necrosis or brain damage.

Saturated Hydrocarbons

The simplest type of hydrocarbon is known as the saturated hydrocarbon. These are made entirely of single bonds, and are “saturated” with hydrogen atoms, that is to say there is an abundance of hydrogen within the compound. These are either in linear or branched form.

Unsaturated Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons can bond themselves together in a process known as catenation. This process forms more complex molecules and prevents the entire saturation of hydrogen by forming double or triple bonds between the carbon atoms. Hydrocarbons tending to have one or more double or triple bonds are known as unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Double bond

Double bonds = alkenes

Triple bonds = alkynes