Epoxidation of Canola Oil with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Acidic Ion Exchange Resin

Magnetic whole-cell biocatalyst based on intracellular lipases of Candida catenulata as promising technology for green synthesis of epoxy fatty acids

This study focuses on the development a green synthesis of epoxy fatty acids (EFAs) which are commonly used as the plasticizer in polymer industries. The intracellular lipases of Candida catenulata cells as a whole-cell biocatalyst (WCB) were examined in the bio-epoxidation of free fatty acids (FFAs) with hydrogen peroxide. The FFAs in soybean soap stock, an industrial by-product of vegetable oil factories, was used as the feedstock of the process. To remove phosphates from soap stock a degumming process was tested before the bio-epoxidation reaction and results revealed that the EFAs yield was improved using the degummed fatty acids (DFAs). The attachments of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles to the surface of WCBs facilitated the recovery of the biocatalyst, and were improved stabilities. The activation energy for the magnetic whole-cell biocatalysts (MWCB) was 48.54 kJ mol-1, which was lower than the WCB system (51.28 kJ mol-1). The EFA yield was about 47.1 % and 33.8 % after 3 h for the MWCBs and 2 h for the WCBs, respectively. The MWCBs displayed acceptable reusability in the repetitious bio-epoxidation reaction with maintaining 59 % of the original activity after 5 cycles whereas the performance of the WCBs was 5.9 % at the same conditions. The effects of influential factors such as reaction time, molar ratio of H2O2 to CC, and batch and semi-batch operations were investigated for both biocatalyst systems. The quality of EFAs was characterized by FTIR and GC-MS analyses.

Sustainable approach for catalytic green epoxidation of oleic acid with applied ion exchange resin

Epoxides were primarily derived from petroleum-based sources. However, there has been limited research on optimizing the process parameters for epoxidized palm oil-derived oleic acid, resulting in its underutilization. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize the catalytic epoxidation of palm oleic acid concerning the oxirane content by applying ion exchange resin as a catalyst. Epoxidized oleic acid was produced using in-situ-formed performic acid by combining formic acid as the oxygen carrier with hydrogen peroxide as the oxygen donor. The findings revealed that the optimal reaction conditions for producing epoxidized oleic acid with the highest oxirane content were an Amberlite IR-120 catalyst loading of 0.9 g, a molar ratio of formic acid to oleic acid of 1:1., and a molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to oleic acid of 1:1.1. By employing these optimal conditions, the maximum relative conversion of palm oleic acid to oxirane was achieved at 85%. The reaction rate constants (k) based on the optimized epoxidized oleic acid are determined as follows: k11 = 20 mol L-1 min-1, k12 = 2 mol L-1 min-1, and k2 = 20 mol L-1 min-1. The findings validated the kinetic model by showing good agreement between the simulation and experimental data.

Effect of Selected Bio-Components on the Cell Structure and Properties of Rigid Polyurethane Foams

New rigid polyurethane foams (RPURFs) modified with two types of bio-polyols based on rapeseed oil were elaborated and characterized. The effect of the bio-polyols with different functionality, synthesized by the epoxidation and oxirane ring-opening method, on the cell structure and selected properties of modified foams was evaluated. As oxirane ring-opening agents, 1-hexanol and 1.6-hexanediol were used to obtain bio-polyols with different functionality and hydroxyl numbers. Bio-polyols in different ratios were used to modify the polyurethane (PUR) composition, replacing 40 wt.% petrochemical polyol. The mass ratio of the used bio-polyols (1:0, 3:1, 1:1, 1:3, 0:1) affected the course of the foaming process of the PUR composition as well as the cellular structure and the physical and mechanical properties of the obtained foams. In general, the modification of the reference PUR system with the applied bio-polyols improved the cellular structure of the foam, reducing the size of the cells. Replacing the petrochemical polyol with the bio-polyols did not cause major differences in the apparent density (40-43 kg/m3), closed-cell content (87-89%), thermal conductivity (25-26 mW⋅(m⋅K)-1), brittleness (4.7-7.5%), or dimensional stability (<0.7%) of RPURFs. The compressive strength at 10% deformation was in the range of 190-260 and 120-190 kPa, respectively, for directions parallel and perpendicular to the direction of foam growth. DMA analysis confirmed that an increase in the bio-polyol of low functionality in the bio-polyol mixture reduced the compressive strength of the modified foams.

Epoxidation of Methyl Esters as Valuable Biomolecules: Monitoring of Reaction

The paper is focused on the epoxidation of methyl esters prepared from oil crops with various profiles of higher fatty acids, especially unsaturated, which are mainly contained in the non-edible linseed and Camelina sativa oil (second generation). The novelty consists in the separation and identification of all products with oxirane ring formed through a reaction and in the determination of time course. Through the epoxidation, many intermediates and final products were formed, i.e., epoxides with different number and/or different position of oxirane rings in carbon chain. For the determination, three main methods (infrared spectroscopy, high-pressure liquid chromatography and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry) were applied. Only gas chromatography enables the separation of individual epoxides, which were identified on the base of the mass spectra, molecule ion and time course of products. The determination of intermediates enables: (i) control of the epoxidation process, (ii) determination of the mixture of epoxides in detail and so the calculation of selectivity of each product. Therefore, the epoxidation will be more environmentally friendly especially for advanced applications of non-edible oil crops containing high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids.

Soybean Oil Epoxidation Catalyzed by a Functionalized Metal–Organic Framework with Active Dioxo-Molybdenum (VI) Centers

In this work, a functionalized gallium metal–organic framework with active dioxo-molybdenum (VI) centers was evaluated as a catalyst in the epoxidation of soybean oil using tert-butyl-hydroperoxide as an oxidizing agent. The influence of the reaction time, temperature, and concentration of the oxidizing agent was studied, and it was demonstrated that the highest epoxide selectivity was obtained at 110 °C after 4 h of reaction (29% conversion and 91% selectivity) using a soybean oil/oxidizing agent ratio of 1/2. The stability of the metal–organic framework was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy EDS. The stability tests demonstrated that the catalyst could be reused in the catalytic process for the recovery of vegetable oils.

Graphical Abstract

Physicochemical Characterization of Novel Epoxidized Vegetable Oil from Chia Seed Oil

In this study, a novel epoxidized vegetable oil (EVO) from chia seed oil (CSO) has been obtained, with the aim to be employed in a great variety of green products related to the polymeric industry, as plasticizers and compatibilizers. Previous to the epoxidation process characterization, the fatty acid (FA) composition of CSO was analyzed using gas chromatography (GC). Epoxidation of CSO has been performed using peracetic acid formed in situ with hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid, applying sulfuric acid as catalyst. The effects of key parameters as temperature (60, 70, and 75 °C), the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide:double bond (H2O2:DB) (0.75:1.0 and 1.50:1.0), and reaction time (0-8 h) were evaluated to obtain the highest relative oxirane oxygen yield (Yoo). The evaluation of the epoxidation process was carried out through iodine value (IV), oxirane oxygen content (Oo), epoxy equivalent weight (EEW), and selectivity (S). The main functional groups were identified by means of FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Physical properties were compared in the different assays. The study of different parameters showed that the best epoxidation conditions were carried out at 75 °C and H2O2:DB (1.50:1), obtaining an Oo value of 8.26% and an EEW of 193 (g·eq-1). These high values, even higher than those obtained for commercial epoxidized oils such as soybean or linseed oil, show the potential of the chemical modification of chia seed oil to be used in the development of biopolymers.

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis and Thermal Expansion of Lignin-Based Biopolymers

Biodegradable materials investigation has become a necessity and a direction for many researchers worldwide. The main goal is to find sustainable alternatives which gradually replace plastics based on fossil resources from the market, because they are very harmful to the environment and to overall quality of life. In order to get to the stage of obtaining different functional parts from biodegradable materials, it is necessary to study their properties. Taking into account these shortcomings, this paper aims at the mechanical characterization (DMA—Dynamic Mechanical Analysis) and thermal degradation (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)) of lignin-based biopolymers: Arboform LV3 Nature^®, Arboblend^® V2 Nature, and Arbofill^® Fichte Arboform^® LV3 Nature reinforced with aramid fibers. The tested samples were obtained by using the most common fabrication technique for polymers—injection molding. The obtained results for the DMA analysis showed separate polymeric-specific regions for each material and, based on the tanδ values between (0.37–0.54), a series of plastics could be proposed for replacement. The mechano-dynamic behavior could be correlated with the thermal expansion of biopolymers for temperatures higher than 50/55 °C, which are thermally stable up to temperatures of at least 250 °C.

The Lord of the Chemical Rings: Catalytic Synthesis of Important Industrial Epoxide Compounds

The epoxidized group, also known as the oxirane group, can be considered as one of the most crucial rings in chemistry. Due to the high ring strain and the polarization of the C–O bond in this three-membered ring, several reactions can be carried out. One can see such a functional group as a crucial intermediate in fuels, polymers, materials, fine chemistry, etc. Literature covering the topic of epoxidation, including the catalytic aspect, is vast. No review articles have been written on the catalytic synthesis of short size, intermediate and macro-molecules to the best of our knowledge. To fill this gap, this manuscript reviews the main catalytic findings for the production of ethylene and propylene oxides, epichlorohydrin and epoxidized vegetable oil. We have selected these three epoxidized molecules because they are the most studied and produced. The following catalytic systems will be considered: homogeneous, heterogeneous and enzymatic catalysis.

Yield and Selectivity Improvement in the Synthesis of Carbonated Linseed Oil by Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide

Carbonation of epoxidized linseed oil (CELO) containing five-membered cyclic carbonate (CC5) groups has been optimized to 95% by reacting epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) with carbon dioxide (CO2) and tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as catalysts. The effect of reaction variables (temperature, CO2 pressure, and catalyst concentration) on the reaction parameters (conversion, carbonation and selectivity) in an autoclave system was investigated. The reactions were monitored, and the products were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopies. The results showed that when carrying out the reaction at high temperature (from 90 °C to 120 °C) and CO2 pressure (60-120 psi), the reaction's conversion improves; however, the selectivity of the reaction decreases due to the promotion of side reactions. Regarding the catalyst, increasing the TBAB concentration from 2.0 to 5.0 w/w% favors selectivity. The presence of a secondary mechanism is based on the formation of a carboxylate ion, which was formed due to the interaction of CO2 with the catalyst and was demonstrated through 13C-NMR and FT-IR. The combination of these factors makes it possible to obtain the largest conversion (96%), carbonation (95%), and selectivity (99%) values reported until now, which are obtained at low temperature (90 °C), low pressure (60 psi) and high catalyst concentration (5.0% TBAB).

Impact of Different Epoxidation Approaches of Tall Oil Fatty Acids on Rigid Polyurethane Foam Thermal Insulation

A second-generation bio-based feedstock-tall oil fatty acids-was epoxidised via two pathways. Oxirane rings were introduced into the fatty acid carbon backbone using a heterogeneous epoxidation catalyst-ion exchange resin Amberlite IR-120 H or enzyme catalyst Candida antarctica lipase B under the trade name Novozym^® 435. High functionality bio-polyols were synthesised from the obtained epoxidated tall oil fatty acids by oxirane ring-opening and subsequent esterification reactions with different polyfunctional alcohols: trimethylolpropane and triethanolamine. The synthesised epoxidised tall oil fatty acids (ETOFA) were studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The chemical structure of obtained polyols was studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. Average molecular weight and polydispersity of polyols were determined from size exclusion chromatography data. The obtained polyols were used to develop rigid polyurethane (PU) foam thermal insulation material with an approximate density of 40 kg/m³. Thermal conductivity, apparent density and compression strength of the rigid PU foams were determined. The rigid PU foams obtained from polyols synthesised using Novozym^® 435 catalyst had superior properties in comparison to rigid PU foams obtained from polyols synthesised using Amberlite IR-120 H. The developed rigid PU foams had an excellent thermal conductivity of 21.2-25.9 mW/(m·K).

Studies on Epoxidation of Tung oil with Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Sulfuric Acid

Tung oil with an iodine value (IV) of 99.63 g I2/100 g was epoxidized in-situ with glacial acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in the presence sulfuric acid as catalyst. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of mole ratio of H2O2 to unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), reaction time and catalyst concentration in Tung oil epoxidation. The reaction kinetics were also studied. Epoxidation was carried out for 4 h. The reaction rates and side reactions were evaluated based on the IV and the conversion of the epoxidized Tung oil to oxirane. Catalytic reactions resulted in higher reaction rate than did non-catalytic reactions. Increasing the catalyst concentration resulted in a large decrease in the IV and an increase in the conversion to oxirane at the initial reaction stage. However, higher catalyst concentration in the epoxidation reaction caused to a decrease in reaction selectivity. The mole ratio of H2O2 to UFA had an influence identical to the catalyst concentration. The recommended optimum mole ratio and catalyst concentration in this study were 1.6 and 1.5%, respectively. The highest conversion was 48.94% for a mole ratio of 1.6. The proposed kinetic model provided good results and was suitable for all variations in reaction temperature. The activation energy (Ea) values were around 5.7663 to 76.2442 kcal/mol. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). 

Cleaner Production of Epoxidized Cooking Oil Using A Heterogeneous Catalyst

A cleaner solvent-free process of used cooking oil epoxidation has been developed. The epoxidation reactions were carried out using “in situ”-formed peroxy acid. A variety of ion exchange resins with different cross-linking percentages and particle sizes such as Dowex 50WX2 50-100, Dowex 50WX2 100-200, Dowex 50WX2 200-400, Dowex 50WX4 50-100, Dowex 50WX4 100-200, Dowex 50WX4 200-400, Dowex 50WX8 50-100, Dowex 50WX8 100-200, Dowex 50WX8 200-400 were used in the synthesis as heterogeneous catalysts. No significant effect of the size as well as porosity of the catalysts on the properties of the final products was observed. In order to develop a more economically beneficial process, a much cheaper heterogeneous catalyst—Amberlite IR-120—was used and the properties of the epoxidized oil were compared with the bio-components obtained in the reaction catalyzed by the Dowex resins. The epoxidized waste oils obtained in the experiments were characterized by epoxy values in the range of 0.32–0.35 mol/100 g. To reduce the amount of waste, the reusability of the ion exchange resin in the epoxidation reaction was studied. Ten reactions were carried out using the same catalyst and each synthesis was monitored by determination of epoxy value changes vs. time of the reactions. It was noticed that in the case of the reactions where the catalyst was reused for the third and fourth time the content of oxirane rings was higher by 8 and 6%, respectively, compared to the reaction where the catalyst was used only one time. Such an observation has not been reported so far. The epoxidation process with catalyst recirculation is expected to play an important role in the development of a new approach to the environmentally friendly solvent-free epoxidation process of waste oils.

Screening Life Cycle Assessment of Tall Oil-Based Polyols Suitable for Rigid Polyurethane Foams

A screening Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of tall oil-based bio-polyols suitable for rigid polyurethane (PU) foams has been carried out. The goal was to identify the hot-spots and data gaps. The system under investigation is three different tall oil fatty acids (TOFA)-based bio-polyol synthesis with a cradle-to-gate approach, from the production of raw materials to the synthesis of TOFA based bio-polyols at a pilot-scale reactor. The synthesis steps that give the most significant environmental footprint hot-spots were identified. The results showed the bio-based feedstock was the main environmental hot-spot in the bio-polyol production process. Future research directions have been highlighted.

An Overview of the Biolubricant Production Process: Challenges and Future Perspectives

The term biolubricant applies to all lubricants that are easily biodegradable and non-toxic to humans and the environment. The uses of biolubricant are still very limited when compared to those of mineral oils, although this trend is increasing and depends on investment in research and development (R&D). The increase in demand for biodegradable lubricants is related to the evolution of environmental regulations, with more restrictive rules being implemented to minimize environmental impact caused by inappropriate disposal. This study provides an overview of the types, production routes, properties, and applications of biolubricants. Biolubricants are classified as either natural or synthetic oils according to chemical composition. Natural oils are of animal or vegetable origin and are rarely used because they are unstable at high temperatures and form compounds that are harmful to equipment and machines. Synthetic oils are obtained from chemical reactions and are the best lubricants for demanding applications. They are obtained by various routes, mainly by obtaining straight or branched-chain monoesters, diesters, triesters, and polyol esters from vegetable oils. The conversion of triglyceride to esters can be followed or preceded by one or more reactions to improve reactions such as epoxidation and hydrogenation.

Catalytic developments in the epoxidation of vegetable oils and the analysis methods of epoxidized products

Functionalization of vegetable oils (VOs) including edible, non-edible, and waste cooking oil (WCOs) to epoxides (EVOs) is receiving great attention by many researchers from academia and industry because they are renewable, versatile, sustainable, non-toxic, and eco-friendly, and they can partially or totally replace harmful phthalate plasticizers. The epoxidation of VOs on an industrial scale has already been developed by the homogeneous catalytic system using peracids. Due to the drawbacks of this method, other systems including acidic ion exchange resins, polyoxometalates, and enzymes are becoming alternative catalysts for the epoxidation reaction. We have reviewed all these catalytic systems including their benefits and drawbacks, reaction mechanisms, intensification of each system in different ways as well as the physicochemical properties of VOs and EVOs and new findings in recent years. Finally, the current methods including titrimetric methods as well as ATR-FTIR and 1H NMR for determination of conversion, epoxidation, and selectivity of epoxidized vegetable oils (EVOs) are also briefly described.

Epoxidation Kinetics of High-Linolenic Triglyceride Catalyzed by Solid Acidic-Ion Exchange Resin

Epoxidation of high-linolenic perilla oil was carried out in the presence of solid acidic ion-exchange resin at varying reaction temperatures for 8 h. A pseudo two-phase kinetic model that captures the differences in reactivity of double bonds at various positions in the fatty acid of a triglyceride molecule during both epoxy formation and cleavage was developed. The proposed model is based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (L-H-H-W) postulates and considers the adsorption of formic acid on the catalyst as the rate-determining step. To estimate the kinetic rate constants of various reactions, genetic algorithm was used to fit experimentally obtained iodine and epoxy values of epoxidized perilla oil. A re-parametrized form of Arrhenius equation was used in the proposed model to facilitate the precise estimation of parameters with least computational effort. The obtainment of the least error between experimentally determined and theoretically predicted iodine and epoxy values indicates the robustness of the proposed model.

Influence of Epoxidized Canola Oil (eCO) and Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) Blends

Two major obstacles to utilizing polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer-in commercial applications are its low tensile yield strength (<10 MPa) and elongation at break (~5%). In this work, we investigated the modification of the mechanical properties of PHB through the use of a variety of bio-derived additives. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and sugarcane-sourced cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were proposed as mechanical reinforcing elements, and epoxidized canola oil (eCO) was utilized as a green plasticizer. Zinc acetate was added to PHB and PLA blends in order to improve blending. Composites were mixed in a micro-extruder, and the resulting filaments were molded into 2-mm sheets utilizing a hot-press prior to characterization. The inclusion of the various additives was found to influence the crystallization process of PHB without affecting thermal stability. In general, the addition of PLA and, to a lesser degree, CNCs, resulted in an increase in the Young's modulus of the material, while the addition of eCO improved the strain at break. Overall, samples containing eCO and PLA (at concentrations of 10 wt %, and 25 wt %, respectively) demonstrated the best mechanical properties in terms of Young's modulus, tensile strength and strain at break.

Technological Parameters of Epoxidation of Sesame Oil with Performic Acid

The course of epoxidation of sesame oil (SO) with performic acid formed „in situ” by the reaction of 30 wt% hydrogen peroxide and formic acid in the presence of sulfuric acid(VI) as a catalyst was studied. The most advantageous of the technological independent parameters of epoxidation are as follows: temperature 80°C, H2O2/ C=C 3.5:1, HCOOH/C=C 0.8:1, amount of catalyst as H2SO4/(H2O2+HCOOH) 1 wt%, stirring speed at least 700 rpm, reaction time 6 h. The iodine number (IN), epoxy number (EN), a relative conversion to oxirane (RCO) and oxirane oxygen content (EOe) were determined every hour during the reaction. Under optimal conditions the sesame oil conversion amounted to 90.7%, the selectivity of transformation to epoxidized sesame oil was equal to 93.2%, EN = 0.34 mol/100 g, IN = 0.04 mol/100 g oil (10.2 g/100 g oil), a relative conversion to oxirane RCO = 84.6%, and oxirane oxygen content of EOe = 5.5%.

A Review of Recent Research on Bio-Based Epoxy Systems for Engineering Applications and Potentialities in the Aviation Sector

Epoxy resins are one of the most widely used thermosets in different engineering fields, due to their chemical resistance and thermo-mechanical properties. Recently, bio-based thermoset resin systems have attracted significant attention given their environmental benefits related to the wide variety of available natural resources, as well as the resulting reduction in the use of petroleum feedstocks. During the last two decades, considerable improvement on the properties of bio-sourced resins has been achieved to obtain performances comparable to petroleum-based systems. This paper reviews recent advances on new bio-based epoxy resins, derived from natural oils, natural polyphenols, saccharides, natural rubber and rosin. Particular focus has been given to novel chemical formulations and resulting mechanical properties of natural derived- epoxies, curing agents or entire systems, constituting an interesting alternative for a large variety of engineering applications, including the aviation sector. The present work is within the scope of the ECO-COMPASS project, where new bio-sourced epoxy matrixes for green composites are under investigation.

Ultrasound-assisted chemoenzymatic epoxidation of soybean oil by using lipase as biocatalyst

The present work reports the use of ultrasonic irradiation for enhancing lipase catalyzed epoxidation of soybean oil. Higher degree of unsaturated fatty acids, present in the soybean oil was converted to epoxidized soybean oil by using an immobilized lipase, Candida antarctica (Novozym 435). The effects of various parameters on the relative percentage conversion of the double bond to oxirane oxygen were investigated and the optimum conditions were established. The parameters studied were temperature, hydrogen peroxide to ethylenic unsaturation mole ratio, stirring speed, solvent ratio, catalyst loading, ultrasound frequency, ultrasound input power and duty cycle. The main objective of this work was to intensify chemoenzymatic epoxidation of the soybean oil by using ultrasound, to reduce the time required for epoxidation. Epoxidation of the soybean oil was achieved under mild reaction conditions by indirect ultrasonic irradiations (using ultrasonic bath). The relative percentage conversion to oxirane oxygen of 91.22% was achieved within 5h. The lipase was remarkably stable under optimized reaction conditions, later was recovered and reused six times to produce epoxidized soybean oil (ESO).

Modification of olefinic double bonds of unsaturated fatty acids and other vegetable oil derivatives via epoxidation: A review

The highly strained ring in epoxides makes these compounds very versatile intermediates. Epoxidized vegetable oils are gaining a lot of attention as renewable and environmentally friendly feedstock with various industrial applications such as plasticizers, lubricant base oils, surfactants, etc. Numerous papers have been published on the development of the epoxidation methods and the number is still growing. This review reports the synthetic approaches and applications of epoxidized vegetable oils.

Technological aspects of vegetable oils epoxidation in the presence of ion exchange resins: a review

A review paper of the technology basics of vegetable oils epoxidation by means of peracetic or performic acid in the presence of acidic ion exchange resins has been presented. The influence of the following parameters: temperature, molar ratio of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide to ethylenic unsaturation, catalyst loading, stirring intensity and the reaction time on a conversion of ethylenic unsaturation, the relative percentage conversion to oxirane and the iodine number was discussed. Optimal technological parameters, mechanism of epoxidation by carboxylic peracids and the possibilities of catalyst recycling have been also discussed. This review paper shows the application of epoxidized oils.

Amidation of triglycerides by amino alcohols and their impact on plant oil-derived polymers

Amidation of plant oils with amino alcohols was methodologically examined.

Technological Aspects of Chemoenzymatic Epoxidation of Fatty Acids, Fatty Acid Esters and Vegetable Oils: A Review

The general subject of the review is analysis of the effect of technological parameters on the chemoenzymatic epoxidation processes of vegetable oils, fatty acids and alkyl esters of fatty acids. The technological parameters considered include temperature, concentration, amount of hydrogen peroxide relative to the number of unsaturated bonds, the amounts of enzyme catalysts, presence of solvent and amount of free fatty acids. Also chemical reactions accompanying the technological processes are discussed together with different technological options and significance of the products obtained.

Preparation and properties evaluation of biolubricants derived from canola oil and canola biodiesel

This study demonstrates the evaluation and comparison of the lubricity properties of the biolubricants prepared from the feed stocks such as canola oil and canola biodiesel. Biolubricant from canola biodiesel has a low cloud and pour point properties, better friction and antiwear properties, low phase transition temperature, is less viscous, and has the potential to substitute petroleum-based automotive lubricants. Biolubricant from canola oil has high thermal stability and is more viscous and more effective at higher temperature conditions. This study elucidates that both the biolubricants are attractive, renewable, and ecofriendly substitutes for the petroleum-based lubricants.