Catalytic epoxidation of linoleic acid derived corn oil via in situ performic acid mechanism

Utilizing renewable resources to produce epoxides as an alternative to petroleum-based sources is a growing trend. In this regard, several vegetable oils can serve as suitable alternatives. This study investigated the epoxidation of corn oil using sulfuric acid as a catalyst. Hydrogen peroxide and formic acid were used as the oxygen donor and carrier to form performic acid, which contains the oxirane ring functional group. Kinetic modeling was employed in this experiment to investigate the parameters that influence reaction rates, and it was used in conjunction with the genetic algorithm. The highest conversion to oxirane, at 70%, was achieved with a ratio of 1.5 mol of hydrogen peroxide, a temperature of 55 °C, and a catalyst loading of 3 g. The kinetic data indicate that the epoxide ring-opening reaction (k₁₂ = 12.53 mol L^-1min^-1) occurs much more rapidly than the initial epoxidation step (k₁₁ = 0.043 mol L^-1min^-1), with the model demonstrating good accuracy (R² = 0.85) and minimal error (0.14). The outcomes showed a high level of concordance between the simulation and experimental data, confirming the model's validity.