The effect of the presence of free fatty acids on the gelation characteristics of tung oil has been examined by several workers since 1920. They used the different heat tests current at the time and also limited their observations to samples of commercial oils. These were Chinese oils derived from Aleurites fordii or possibly mixed oils from both A. fordii and A. montana.
The predominance of the A. montana oil in Nyasaland has led to a closer study of the effect on this oil. It has been found that the same concentration of free fatty acid produces a greater delaying action on the gelation of this oil than is caused on that from the A. fordii species. The B.S. heat test was used for the comparison.
A consideration of recent investigations into the composition of drying oils affords an explanation of these results.
Agricultural Chemistry, Imperial College, London, for his useful suggestions and encouragement during the preparation of the text. My thanks are also due to Messrs. Ballach and McKay, Edinburgh, for providing facilities in their workshop, and to Mr. J. McKay for making the apparatus to my design in his spare time.As a State Scholar T am indebted to the Indian Government for their support and help.Experience has shown that a low moisture content in the seed is essential for satisfactory expression of the oil. The greater size of tung seed compared with other oil seeds led to experiments with both whole seeds and disintegrated meal, but similar conclusions were reached with both types of feed. Determination of the equilibrium moisture contents of tung seed under the usual atmospheric conditions of Nyasaland showed that the accepted estate methods of harvesting could be improved, resulting in higher yields of oil being expressed from the seed.
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