Palm Kernel Acid is a chemical compound derived from palm kernel oil, primarily used in cosmetics and personal care products.
The name describes the structure of the ingredient:
- Palm Kernel refers to the kernel of the oil palm fruit. The oil extracted from the palm kernel is different from palm oil, which is extracted from the fruit's pulp.
- Acid indicates that the compound is a fatty acid. Fatty acids are major components of lipids and are known for their emollient and moisturizing properties.
Raw Materials and Their Functions
The palm kernel is the inner core of the fruit of the oil palm. The oil extracted from these kernels is rich in saturated fatty acids, which are the primary source of palm kernel acid.
Industrial Chemical Extraction of Palm Kernel Acid
- Oil Extraction of oil from palm kernels, which can be done through pressing or using solvents.
- Hydrolysis. Palm kernel oil is then subjected to hydrolysis, a process that breaks down triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol. This process can be catalyzed by enzymes or chemical treatments.
- Purification. The free fatty acids, including palm kernel acid, are purified to remove impurities and solvent residues.
- Quality Control. The purified palm kernel acid undergoes quality testing to ensure it meets the required standards in terms of purity and fatty acid composition.
Form and Color
Palm Kernel Acid is typically available as a solid in the form of crystals or powder usually white or off-white in color.
What it is for and where
Palm Kernel Acid is primarily used in the cosmetic industry and detergent production. It is employed as an ingredient in the manufacture of soaps and detergents due to its cleansing and foaming properties. It is often used in household and personal cleaning products, aiding in the removal of dirt and oils from skin and surfaces.
Cosmetics
Cleansing agent. Ingredient that cleanses skin without exploiting the surface-active properties that produce a lowering of the surface tension of the stratum corneum.
Surfactant - Emulsifying agent. Emulsions are thermodynamically unstable and are used to soothe or soften the skin and emulsify, so they need a specific, stabilising ingredient. This ingredient forms a film, lowers the surface tension and makes two immiscible liquids miscible. A very important factor affecting the stability of the emulsion is the amount of the emulsifying agent. Emulsifiers have the property of reducing the oil/water or water/oil interfacial tension, improving the stability of the emulsion and also directly influencing the stability, sensory properties and surface tension of sunscreens by modulating the filmometric performance.
Safety
Product considered to be safe.
Other uses
Biosynthesis of palm oil products (1).
References_____________________________________________________________________
(1) Chee, J. Y., Lau, N. S., Samian, M. R., Tsuge, T., & Sudesh, K. (2012). Expression of Aeromonas caviae polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase gene in Burkholderia sp. USM (JCM15050) enables the biosynthesis of SCL‐MCL PHA from palm oil products. Journal of applied microbiology, 112(1), 45-54.
Abstract. Aims: Burkholderia sp. USM (JCM15050) isolated from oil‐polluted wastewater is capable of utilizing palm oil products and glycerol to synthesize poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)]. To confer the ability to produce polymer containing 3‐hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx), plasmid (pBBREE32d13) harbouring the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene of Aeromonas caviae (phaCAc) was transformed into this strain. Methods and Results: The resulting transformant incorporated approximately 1 ± 0·3 mol% of 3HHx in the polymer when crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) or palm kernel acid oil was used as the sole carbon source. In addition, when the transformed strain was cultivated in the mixtures of CPKO and sodium valerate, PHA containing 69 mol% 3HB, 30 mol% 3‐hydroxyvalerate and 1 mol% 3HHx monomers was produced. Batch feeding of carbon sources with 0·5% (v/v) CPKO at 0 h and 0·25% (w/v) sodium valerate at 36 h yielded 6 mol% of 3HHx monomer by controlled‐feeding strategies. Conclusions: Burkholderia sp. USM (JCM15050) has the metabolic pathways to supply both the short‐chain length (SCL) and medium‐chain length (MCL) PHA monomers. By transforming the strain with the Aer. caviae PHA synthase with broader substrate specificity, SCL‐MCL PHA was produced. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first study demonstrating the ability of transformant Burkholderia to produce P(3HB‐co‐3HHx) from a single carbon source.
Palm Kernel Acid 
