Abstract
Soybean oil (SO) epoxidation is an extensively studied method to
generate a sustainable plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Standard soybean oil is composed of triglycerides whose fatty acids are
primarily unsaturated linoleic, oleic, and linolenic acids. High oleic
soybean oil (HOSO) is collected from a soybean variety higher in oleic
acid than other acids. The present study focused on a preliminary
comparison of the epoxidation reaction behavior between SO and HOSO,
conducted isoperibolically. The experimental data were correlated by a
kinetic model. Considerable differences in the temperature and oxirane
index profiles suggest that the epoxidation of HOSO tends to be faster
and with a more intense heat release rate than the epoxidation of SO,
which was confirmed by the results of estimated kinetic constants. The
data collected and shared herein suggest that a first epoxy group
generated may cause steric hindrance to slow the epoxidation in the
second and third double bonds of the oil.