Fatty Acids: An Expanding Market for Fats and Oils

Use of inedible fats and oils in U.S. fatty acid production has increased sharply since 1958, rising from 0.7 billion pounds that year to a record 1.9 billion in 1966. Tall oil, a byproduct of the wood pulp industry, made the greatest gain. Tall oil and inedible tallow and greases combined now account for about 90 percent of the total raw materials used. The growth in fatty acid output has been stimulated by new uses and improved processing techniques. Fatty acids and derivatives continue to be the most promising market for inedible fats and oils as fatty acid production and its widely diversified uses continue to expand.