Epoxidation of Different Oils –A Review

Epoxidation of jatropha oil, castor oil and soybean oil was demonstrated by using various methods. These methods were carried out to form epoxidised oil containing epoxy ring. Chemical method was performed through in-situ epoxidation process forming peroxyformic acid by using aqueous hydrogen peroxide and formic acid. The enzymatic method was done in the existence of Lipase enzyme from candida antartica in neutral ph. Epoxidation by acid ion exchange resin was performed by in situ reaction with catalyst, and in or without toluene. These methods were evaluated on different parameters such as reaction temperature, molar ratio, and stirring speed. The presence of epoxy group can be determined by Oxirane Oxygen Content. The percent of oxygen absorbed by an unsaturated raw material during epoxidation was analyzed by these OOC test. Epoxidised oils were characterized by FTIR and HNMR spectroscopies.