Epoxidation of vegetable oils by conventional and non-conventional methods

The interest on epoxidised vegetable oils has been increasing in the last years thanks to their use as renewable and sustainable resource for a wide range of environmental-friendly and sustainable chemicals. The aim of this work is producing epoxidised soybean oil in newer, safer and more efficient ways. This PhD thesis is structured according to different experimental approaches, supported by a kinetic and mass transfer modelling to enable a complete understanding of the phenomena. The epoxidation process was carried out in two phases via peroxyacetic acid, produced by the reaction between acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Epoxidation of soybean oil was carried out in a batch calorimetric reactor, for an accurate study on kinetics, mass transfer and calorimetry. Furthermore, the microwave (MW) heating effect on the process was studied, by means of a comparative study using two geometrically similar reactors with different heating sources, conventional and MW heating. MW heating process is able to produce a uniform stable suspension halving the time to reach maximum yield. Epoxidation was tested also in a continuous system, for its potential industrial interest. The process was also effective in a continuous reactor, even though the mixture must be stabilised by means of a surfactant. The feasibility of using radiofrequency heating in the continuous reactor was tested for more controlled operation than MW heating.