10 BULLETIX 1033, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICXnLTUBE. 
sion which follows such fats are designated " blended fats *' in con- 
trast to the " hydrogenated oils" made by hydrogenating the entire 
quantity of oil. 
It has been claimed that this blended fat is inferior in keeping quali- 
ties to that produced by hydrogenation alone. 1S The blending method 
is. however, generally given preference because of the larger produc- 
tion possible with a given equipment. Moreover, the blended fat 
may supply vitamins, if any were present in the oil that is blended 
with the hardened fat. 
A previous paper from this laboratory reported a series of 44 
experiments on corn, cottonseed, and peanut oils hydrogenated to dif- 
ferent degrees of hardness. 19 It was found that with the exception of 
hydrogenated peanut oil melting at 5:2.4 D C. which was 79 per- cent 
digested, and corn oil melting at 50 c C. which was ^ s .5 per cent di- 
gested, the hydrogenated oil- studied had coefficients of digestibility 
of 9'2 per cent or higher. No one of them caused any observed diges- 
tive disturbance nor was a decrease in the digestibility of the experi- 
mental diet as a whole noted in any case. In general, the results 
showed that as the melting point of the hydrogenated oil increased 
the digestibility decreased, the decrease being much more marked 
with those melting at over 46 c C. 
To determine whether or not blended fats have the same digesti- 
bility as hydrogenated oils made from the same kinds of oils and hav- 
ing approximately the same melting point, such blended fats were 
used in the experiments here reported. They were made for the pur- 
pose from the same lots of corn, cottonseed, and peanut oils used in 
the earlier experiments with hydrogenated oils. 2 * 
The hard fats used in the preparation of the majority of the 
blended fats were prepared in the laboratory of Carleton Ellis by 
one of the authors (H. J. D. ) of this bulletin assisted by J. E. Kuhn. 
The oils were completely saturated with hydrogen at 180 c C. and had 
a melting point, in every case, of approximately 60 c C. In the 
case of the two blended cottonseed fats, with melting points of 
41.3 : C. and 50° C. cotton stearin obtained from the Bureau of Ani- 
mal Industry was mixed with a good grade of commercial edible 
cottonseed oil obtained from the Bureau of Chemistry. The melting 
points, iodic numbers, and proportions of hardened and untreated oil 
in the fats used are shown in Table 10. page 13. 
Then? blended fats were white, solid or practically so at room 
temperature, and without any characteristic odor or taste. When 
melted, their color was yellow, resembling that of tallow. If allowed 
"* s Sogers, A. Manual of Industrial Chemistry. 1915. 2. ed.. p. 601. 
19 Holmes, A. D.. and Deuel. H. J., jr.. Amer. Jour. Physiol., ."4 (1921), No. 3. pp. 
479-488. 
20 Amer. Jour Physiol., 54 (1921). No. 3. pp. 479— iSS. 
