The epoxidation of rapeseed oil (RO) with peracetic acid generated in situ by the reaction of 30 wt % hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid has been studied. The optimization studies were performed by the application of statistical experimental design methodology with the utilization of a rotatable uniform design. Four parameters for the RO epoxidation process were studied: temperature, molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to rapeseed oil, molar ratio of acetic acid to rapeseed oil, and reaction time. The output of the process was described by five response functions: iodine number, epoxy number, conversion, yield, and the selectivity. The highest levels of all response functions, with the exception of the selectivity, were predicted for the same parameter values: temperature 65 °C, molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to RO 11.1:1 mol/mol, molar ratio of acetic acid to RO 1.89:1 mol/mol, and the reaction time 6 h. In a confirmatory experiment, these conditions provided the epoxidized rapeseed oil with the yield of 59.3 mol %, and 83.7 mol % conversion of oil. The epoxy number of the product amounted to 0.1862 mol/100 g, whereas the iodine number was 0.0513 mol/100 g. The highest values of selectivity were predicted to require the use of different conditions: 51.5 °C, 9.7 equiv of H 2 O 2 , 0.63 equiv of AA, 6 h. These conditions gave the product with 99.2% selectivity. Epoxidized rapeseed oil is of high commercial importance as a plasticizer and stabilizer for plastics, ingredient of lubricants, polyol in manufacture of polyurethanes, and an intermediate for the synthesis of surfactants.

The influence of reaction parameters on the epoxidation of rapeseed oil (RO) with peracetic acid obtained in situ from the reaction between 30 wt% hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid (AA) has been studied. The course of the reaction was measured by changes of the iodine number (IN) and epoxy number (EN), used to estimate the degree of rapeseed oil conversion, yield, and the selectivity of transformation to epoxidized rapeseed oil in relation to the total amount of oil undergoing the transformation. The optimal conditions of epoxidation are as follows: temperature 60°C, molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to rapeseed oil 9.5:1 mol/mol, molar ratio of acetic acid to rapeseed oil 1.12:1 mol/mol, stirring speed 500 rpm, and reaction time of 4 h. Under these conditions the epoxy number is equal to 0.157 mol/100 g RO and iodine number reaches low values of 0.123 mol/ 100 g RO. The selectivity of transformation to epoxidized RO calculated from EN and IN is 82.2%, conversion of hydrogen peroxide is 100%, conversion of RO calculated from IN is 60.8%, and yield of RO calculated from EN is 50%.

BACKGROUND: The epoxidation of vegetable oils has been a subject of interest for many years; epoxidized oils are frequently used as plasticizers and as renewable materials for the manufacture of alcohols, glycols and many other complex compounds with excellent antioxidant and antifriction properties. In this work the epoxidation process of rapeseed oil (RO) with peracetic acid generated in situ by the reaction of 30 wt% hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid has been studied. Optimization studies were performed by application of a statistical experimental design method utilizing a rotatable-uniform design.