Unsaturated aldehyde oils by the partial ozonization of soybean oil

Aldehyde oils containing an average of one or two aldehyde groups per glyceride molecule were prepared by partial ozonization of soybean oil. Ozonization was carried out in ethyl acetate-methanol solvent, and reduction of the ozonolysis products was done catalytically with palladium on charcoal in the presence of pyridine. Under these conditions, maximum conversion of unsaturated to carbonyl functionality was achieved without saturation of the unozonized double bonds. The products were oils having three different types of functionality: aldehydic, olefinic, and glyceride ester.