Unsaturated fatty acids refractory towards hydrogenation are rapidly and efficiently hydrogenated in the presence of nickel hydrogenation catalyst and of copper chromite adjunct catalyst with otherwise reasonably mild hydrogenation conditions.
A non-fractionated, partially hydrogenated, non-lauric glyceride oil product suitable as a hard butter is made by hydrogenating the oil with copper-chromite catalyst to an Iodine Value of about 100-110 followed by hydrogenation with a conventional hydrogenation catalyst, suitably nickel, until hard butter characteristics of the fatty product are achieved.