Abstract: In order to provide an experimental basis for enriching linoleic acid from corn embryo oil, the saponification of corn embryo oil with 95% ethanol and KOH and the methyl esterification of the resulting fatty acids with concentrated H2SO4-methanol were studied. After 100 min of refluxing on 80 ℃ water bath, corn embryo oil was most completely hydrolysis and the acid value was up to 207.85 mg KOH/g when 95% ethanol and KOH were added at 2 mL/g and 1.1-fold saponification equivalent. The most complete methyl esterification of the resulting fatty acids was achieved after 30 min of catalysis by concentrated H2SO4-methanol at 5:95 (V/V) added at 5 mL/g on 70 ℃ water bath, resulting in 100% esterification confirmed by GC. Linoleic acid with 96.98% purity was obtained after urea inclusion fractionation of fatty acids resulting from the saponification of corn embryo oil under optimized conditions.

Key words: linoleic acid, methyl esterification, enrichment