Freezing point problem
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Recently, I conducted some experiments by mixing fatty acids with hydrogenated palm oil; both the fatty acids and hydrogenated palm oil have a freezing point of over 54°C. So why does the mixture’s freezing point be around 50°C?
Reply to the original poster: A single substance, being a pure compound, has a high melting point; when two pure compounds are mixed together to form a mixture, its melting point decreases. In other words, when impurities are present in a pure substance, its melting point drops.
But oil and fatty acids are both mixtures! Fatty acids: palmitic acid and stearic acid. Palm oil: triglycerides of fatty acids with chain lengths around C8-C20; it is also a mixture.