Industrial Applications Of
Rapeseed Oil

Over the past decade there has been an immense growth in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries with respect to the development of oilseed rape varieties. Rapeseed is at the forefront of agricultural biotechnology due to its comparative ease of manipulation via tissue culture & regeneration techniques (eg. anther & microspore culture).

The 'conventional' varieties (see Table 1) are now being succeeded by the newly designed varieties which offer new and/or improved characteristics for both oil and protein content (see Table 2). Oilseed rape oil is now utilised not only for food, but also in industry for non-food and non-fuel purposes. These uses can be categorised as follows:

Table 1 - Current varieties:

Variety TypeIndustrial Use
Double lowPharmaceuticals
High erucic & high glucosinolatePolythene slip agent
High erucic & low glucosinolateWaxy crude-oil flow enhancer
Double low & high erucicHydraulic oils

Table 2 - Current & future designer varieties:

CharacteristicsIndustrial Use
40% StearicMargarine, cocoa butter
40% LauricDetergents
High LinolenicTherapeutic properties, paints
PetroselinicPolymers, detergents
'Jojoba'Cosmetics, lubricants
90& ErucicPolymers, cosmetics, inks
VernolicResins, coatings
PolydroxybutyrateBiodegradable plastics
PhytaseAnimal feed
High ricinoleicLubricants, plasticisers, cosmetics
Industrial enzymesFermentation, food processing
Novel peptidesPharmaceuticals
Highlighted characteristics provide new and extremely important opportunities for biotechnology to utilise.