Modified vegetable oil has a wide range of applications and the technical level of local companies needs to be improved.

Modified vegetable oil, also known as modified natural ester, refers to vegetable oil extracted from seeds or other biological materials and obtained through transesterification or other chemical reactions. Modified vegetable oil has the advantages of good solubility, environmental protection, good weather resistance, and good drying properties. It has broad application prospects in transformers, industrial coatings, special inks, rubber and other fields.

The main raw material of modified vegetable oil is natural vegetable oil, which is mainly extracted from natural oil plant seeds or other biological materials. As a natural renewable material, natural vegetable oil has the advantages of low production cost, wide source of raw materials, and green and environmental protection. Natural vegetable oils include palm oil, flax oil, walnut oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, perilla oil, etc., with fatty acid triglycerides as their main components. As the concept of green environmental protection continues to deepen, the output of natural vegetable oil continues to increase, which will lay the foundation for the development of the modified vegetable oil industry.

At present, there are three methods for preparing modified vegetable oil: transesterification, epoxidation and hydrogenation. The transesterification method refers to the transesterification reaction between natural vegetable oil and low-carbon alcohol under the action of a catalyst, and finally produces modified vegetable oil. This method is the mainstream preparation method of modified vegetable oil; the epoxidation method refers to adding an epoxidation stabilizer. In natural vegetable oil, the finished product is finally obtained through processes such as stirring, extraction, and drying; hydrogenation methods include continuous hydrogenation, intermittent hydrogenation, ultrasonic hydrogenation, electrochemical catalytic hydrogenation, catalytic transfer hydrogenation, etc.

According to the “2023-2028 China Modified Vegetable Oil Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center, Modified vegetable oil is mainly used in transformers, industrial coatings, special inks, rubber and other fields. In the field of transformers, modified vegetable oil has the advantages of outstanding fire resistance, degradability, and good electrical properties, and can be used as transformer insulating oil; in the field of industrial coatings, modified vegetable oil can be used to produce anti-corrosion coatings, ship coatings, color coatings, etc. In recent years, as the concept of green environmental protection continues to increase, the market demand for modified vegetable oil as an environmentally friendly product continues to grow.

Japan is the world’s largest producer of modified vegetable oil, with Japan’s Ito Oil Co., Ltd. and Nissin Oliyo Group as its main producers. There are few modified vegetable oil manufacturers in my country, and there is a certain gap in technical level compared with Japan. The main market participants include Suzhou Coswood Ink Co., Ltd., Shaoguan Derui Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Liaoning Tongde Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., etc.

Industry analysts said that modified vegetable oil has the advantages of good solubility, green and environmental protection, and is widely used in many fields. Along with the concept of environmental protection As the market continues to deepen, the market demand for modified vegetable oil will become increasingly strong. my country’s modified vegetable oil industry started late, and there is a certain gap in technology level compared with Japan. In the future, as the independent research and development capabilities of local enterprises continue to improve, the development speed of my country’s modified vegetable oil industry will further accelerate.