What is the process of converting vegetable oils into solid fats by hydrogenation called?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Hydrogenation is the chemical process of reacting liquid vegetable oils with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst like nickel to produce saturated solid fats. Saponification refers to soap making, while esterification forms esters from acids and alcohols. Nickel acts as a catalyst to speed up the addition of hydrogen across double bonds.