Modified epoxidised oils

Polymers obtained from natural products or from their immediate derivatives such as vegetable oil, modified epoxidised oils, transesterified oils, heated oil, monoglyceride and diethanol amide or fatty acids of vegetable oils, cashew nut seed liquid (CNSL) and derivatised polymers, are bioderived polymers. " The details of vegetable oil-based polymers are the subject matter of this book and hence are discussed in detail in subsequent chapters. 

High molecular weight liquid epoxy resins from modified vegetable oils such as epoxidised soybean, rapeseed, linseed and sunflower oils, as well as from hydroxylated soybean and rapeseed oils have also been prepared. Reactions of (i) epoxidised oils, with bisphenol-A and (ii) bisphenol-A-based epoxy resin with hydroxylated natural oils in the presence of different catalysts such as LiCl, 2-methylimidazole, triphenylphosphine and triethanolamine at 130-160 C (depending on the catalyst type) under nitrogen, produce the required epoxy resins as shown in Rg. 7.7. ... 

Incorporation of hydroxyl groups in triglycerides and their fatty acids constitutes a major research area, particularly within the broad context of the synthesis of biological-based PU. C=C unsaturations in plant oils can be modified by different chemical mechanisms to introduce -OH moieties (Scheme 4.8) [31]. One of the most representative approaches is opening the oxirane ring in epoxidised oils by various reagents (Scheme 4.10). 

The number of epoxy groups per molecule will vary but for modified soya bean oils there are an average of about four whereas there are about six for epoxidised linseed oils. 

The company also makes PVC lubricants and modifiers (hquid and sohd ester lubricants, hydrocarbon waxes, polyacrylate elastomer impact modifiers, metal soaps, fatty acids and their derivatives) and plasticisers (epoxidised monoester and epoxidised soybean oil), together with acrylic process aids and amide wax antiblocking agents. 

Among the additives used to modify the properties of polymeric packaging materials, plasticisers have raised much concern from the hygienic point of view. Butyl stearate, acetyltributyl citrate, alkyl sebacates and adipates are important because they are types of plasticisers that typically have low toxicities. Materials such as epoxidised soybean oil are widely used in polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride and polystyrene as thermal stabilisers and lubricants at a level of 0.1-27%. Toxicity of epoxidised soybean oil is affected by the presence of oxirane, also known as ethylene oxide, which was upgraded to Group 1 as a carcinogenic agent to humans, based on mechanistic and other relevant data. 

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