CHEMICAL EPOXIDATION OF OLEIC ACID TO PRODUCE AB TYPE MONOMER FOR FATTY-ACID-BASED POLYESTER SYNTHESIS

Epoxides from vegetable oils are currently gaining more attention to replace petroleum-based monomers for polymer synthesis. As one of unsaturated fatty acids derived from vegetable oil, oleic acid can be converted into epoxidized oleic acid by chemical epoxidation. Epoxidized oleic acid is a bifunctional monomer that has the potential to be used as raw material for fatty-acid-based polyester synthesis. This paper proposes the Taguchi-based optimization technique for in-situ epoxidation of oleic acid. The combining factors affecting the maximum yield were also determined to obtain a higher quality of epoxidized oleic acid in a relatively short time. Epoxidized oleic acid was characterized and tested for degradation. The characterization result showed the possibility of the polymerization reaction, and the kinetic study showed that the rate of epoxide degradation at room temperature follows second order with a reaction rate constant of 2.7235 gr.mmol(-1).day(-1).