recently become more attractive because of their environmental benefits and the uncertainties concerning petroleum availabil- ity 11-5]. Among the different possible renewable raw materials, extractive-based glycerides(i.e., esters of fatty acids with glycerol) in plants present one source for producing hydrocarbon-rich prod ucts resembling petroleum 16,7] Vegetable oils are primarily composed of triglycerides(about 90%) with lesser amounts of mono- and diglycerides, as well as free fatty acids 18-10]. In addition, some other compounds such as phospholipids, sterols and their esters, tocols, hydrocarbons and fat-soluble vitamins are present. The most common fatty acid compounds comprise saturated palmitic 16:0 and stearic(C 18:0 acids together with unsaturated oleic 18:1 and linoleic 18:2 acids 18,11]. Many vegetable oils also contain, for example, lau- ric 12:0), myristic(C and erucic 22:1 acids in significant 14:0 amounts. For example, the content of unsaturated oleic acid(C18:1) is typically 55-85% in olive oil, about 60% in rapeseed oil and about 40% in palm oil[4-6]. On the other hand, saturated palmitic acid(C16) is also a prominent acid component in palm oil(about 45%), whereas clearly lower amounts(