What happens when hydrogen is added to a vegetable oil in the presence of nickel? Name the reaction and write one difference between the physical property of the vegetable oil and the product obtained in this reaction. Write the role of nickel in this reaction.
Answer
Vegetable oil which is an unsaturated fatty acid , in presence of hydrogen and nickel undergoes h ydrogenation reaction over double bonds to form vegetable ghee which is a saturated fatty acid .
Since vegetable oil is unsaturated, it is liquid at room temperature while vegetable ghee being saturated is solid.
In this reaction, nickel acts as a catalyst.
