Epoxidation Showdown:\nUnveiling the Kinetics of Vegetable\nOils vs Their Methyl Ester Counterparts

The\nvalorization of vegetable oils (VOs) via the functionalization\nof their unsaturated groups has gained much interest. Epoxidation\nis the most common reaction for functionalizing VOs into promising\npolymers such as nonisocyanate polyurethanes and epoxy resins. From\na chemical engineering standpoint, the use of esterified forms of\nVOs, i.e., fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), is recommended to ease\ntheir mixing due to the increased viscosity. To the best of the author’s\nknowledge, no kinetic models have been developed to compare the kinetics\nof epoxidation between VOs and their corresponding FAMEs. Kinetic\nmodels were developed using different analytical methods and considering\nthe side reaction of oligomerization for the epoxidation of linseed\noil (LSO), cottonseed oil (CSO), soybean oil (SBO), and their corresponding\nFAMEs using propionic acid and a solid catalyst, i.e., Amberlite IR-120.\nThe model fits quite well with organic and aqueous phase experimental\nconcentrations. The rate constants for epoxidation evolve in the following\norder: CSO > SBO > LSO. The linearity between the rate constant\nand\nthe initial double bond concentration is more pronounced for VO-FAMEs\nthan for VOs.