Synthesis of Epoxy Resin from Waste Ricebran Oil

Abstract

Vegetable oil is triglyceride of higher molecular weight fatty acids and most of the vegetable oils have high content of unsaturated fatty acids, which can be converted into epoxy fatty acids. Epoxidized vegetable oils (EVO) are nowadays gaining importance because of their sustainable, renewable and environment friendly nature. EVOs are widely used as feedstock for the synthesis of plasticizers, lubricants, coating formulations, polyols etc. Due to the unsaturation present in Ricebran oil, it can be epoxidized to produce an eco-friendly and consumer-friendly product which can replace products produced from petroleum origin. In this study waste ricebran oil was successfully used to produce economically efficient epoxy resin. The waste ricebran oil (WRBO) used was obtained from refined ricebran oil, which was used as frying medium for 16 hours.

50 g waste ricebran oil (0.177 moles) having an iodine value 92 and acid value 1.2 was reacted with performic acid at 60°C for 7 hours. An excess of 30% hydrogen per oxide (60 ml, 1.76 moles) was taken for higher conversion in the reaction. This reaction was completed with formic acid (11.2 g, 0.243 moles) as oxygen carrier in presence of H₂SO₄ as catalyst in situ. The product was analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-NMR).