Effective and Fast Epoxidation Reaction of Linseed Oil Using 50 wt% Hydrogen Peroxyde

Abstract

Epoxidation of linseed oil was performed with peracetic acid formed in situ by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid in the presence of Amberlite 120H as catalyst, and toluene as solvent. Some variables were evaluated as temperature and the molar ratio and solution of aqueous hydrogen peroxide (30 and 50 wt%) for obtaining a maximum of yield and conversion of epoxidized oil. The characterization of conversion of double bonds (DB) to epoxy ring, the relative percentage of epoxidation and selectivity, were performed by 1H-NMR and FTIR-HART. The conditions rendered a maximum epoxidation of 93.4%, a conversion or double bonds of 97% and a selectivity of 96.3% were obtained at 80°C, employing a molar ratio 1:1.5 of double bonds (DB) to H2O2 (50 wt%), 1:0.5 of DB to acetic acid, and 25 wt% of catalyst, in only 50 min and with a good reproducibility (±1.1%).