348 
BEHAVIOUR  OF  PALM  OIL  WHEN  HEATED. 
elastic  mass,  and  may  be  employed  as  an  ingredient  in  the  pro- 
duction of  common  soap,  in  the  preparation  of  engine-grease,  &c. 
From  the  crude  palm-oil  purified  by  fusion,  from  68  to  74.6 
per  cent,  of  fatty  acids  were  obtained  by  distillation.  The  color 
and  consistence  of  the  distillate  is  not  the  same  at  different  pe- 
riods of  the  operation.  At  first  from  25  to  30  per  cent,  of  per- 
fectly colorless  fatty  acids  come  over  rapidly  ;  these,  when  solidi- 
fied, form  a  solid  mass;  after  this,  the  products  of  distillation  pass 
more  slowly,  always  becoming  more  greasy  on  cooling,  and  more 
and  more  of  a  brownish  color.  The  empyreumatic  odor  of  the 
fatty  acid  is  lost  in  time,  giving  place  to  a  waxy  odor.  If  the 
colorless  product  of  distillation  be  kept  in  a  fused  state  for  a  con- 
siderable time,  even  at  a  low  temperature,  or  repeatedly  fused,  it 
gradually  acquires  a  darker'color,  and  at  the  same  time  becomes 
softer. 
Determinations  of  the  melting  points' of  the  fatty  acids  obtained 
by  distillation  gave  the  following  results  : — 
First  Experiment. — The  first  half  of  the  distilled  fatty  acids, 
which  was  of  a  slightly  yellowish-white  color,  was, — L  transpa- 
rent at  105°  F.,  and  melted  at  117P'5F.;  II.  transparent  at  104° 
F.,  and  meW  at  117°-5  F. 
The  second  half  of  the  distillate,  of  a  strong  brownish-white 
color,  was, — I.  transparent  at  101Q*3  F.,  melted  at  110Q  7  F.  ; 
II.  transparent  at  107°'8  F.,  melted  at  110°'9  F. 
The  second  half  of  the  distillate,  after  complete  cold  pressure, 
fusion  with  water  to  which  0*25  per  cent,  of  oxalic  acid  had  been 
added,  and  fining  with  white  of  egg,  had  a  slightly  brownish-white 
color;  it  was,— I.  transparent  at  107°'4  F.,  fused  at  121°'5  F.  ; 
II.  transparent  at  101°'7  F.;  fused  at  120Q-7  F. 
II.  is  a  mere  repetition  of  the  determination  of  the  melting-point 
of  the  mass  serving  for  the  first  experiment  (I). 
Seco?id  Experiment. — The  products  of  distillation  were  collected 
in  five  separate  portions.  The  percentage  proportions,  compared 
with  the  entire  distillate,  were  for  the  first  portion  1*21  per  cent., 
2.28  per  cent.,  3.17  per  cent.,  4*9  per  cent.,  5*25  per  cent. 
The  determinations  of  the  melting-points  gave  the  following 
results  : — Portion  1,  transparent  at  1110,9  F.,  fused  at  124Q,5.; 
2,  transparent  at  103Q,1  F.,  fused  at  114°.4.  ;  3,  transparent  at 
103°*1  F.,  fused  at  113Q'7  F.;  4,  transparent  at  103°'l  F.,  fused 
