What is hydrogenation what is industrial application?

Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction where you add hydrogen to a molecule. Pretty straightforward, yeah? You’re basically ‘saturating’ an organic compound, often using a metal catalyst like nickel to speed things up. It’s a way of turning unsaturated fats (like liquid oils) into saturated fats (like solid fats).

As for its industrial use, it's huge. The most common example is in the food industry. It’s the process used to make margarine and shortening from vegetable oils, which improves their shelf life and texture. It's also massive in the petrochemical world. Refineries use hydrogenation to upgrade crude oil into cleaner fuels like petrol and diesel by removing impurities like sulphur. So, it's vital for both food and fuel.