Rheological and thermal properties of soybean oils with modified FA compositions

Rheological and thermal properties of five soybean oils with modified FA compositions were studied. Viscosity decreased with increasing temperature at different rates for the different oils. Oil with a high-oleic acid content had higher viscosity and a greater rate of change than did oils with typical FA compositions, oil with low-saturated FA or low-linolenic acid content, or oil from lipoxygenase-free soybeans. The melting and crystallization behaviors of the oils were examined using DSC. The high-oleic acid oil and the oil with low-saturated FA content had different DSC profiles compared with the other oils. Specific heat capacities of oils were estimated using a mathematical model; the high-oleic acid oil had a higher specific heat value, and the low-saturated FA oil had a lower value than did the other oils.