Catalytic hydrogenation of linoleic acid in n-clecane as a solvent was studied over several Pd- and Ru-supported catalysts in order to achieve complete conversion of linoleic acid into stearic acid. Catalyst deactivation by coking was, however, rather prominent. Supported ruthenium, was more prone to deactivation than palladium, which was also confirmed in the catalyst reuse tests with technical grade linoleic acid. The mesoporous structure of the catalyst was preferable to achieve fast hydrogenation of the intermediate products, thus promoting formation of stearic acid. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.