A New Green Method for the Production Polyvinylchloride Plasticizers from Fatty Acid Methyl Esters of Vegetable Oils

Abstract

The current work has shown the potentials for the aerobic oxidation of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) of vegetable oils in the production of polyvinylchloride (PVC) plasticizers with the exclusion of other reagents. The reaction mixtures contain epoxidized derivatives of FAME, and esters, with the quantity of the ester groups being higher than in the initial raw material. It was established that the increase in the additional ester groups resulting from the "aerobic" Baeyer-Villiger (BV) reaction has a significantly positive influence on the plasticizing ability of the oxidized FAME mixtures for PVC when compared to the formation of epoxide compounds. The development of the technology for the production of PVC plasticizers proposed in this investigation provides an opportunity for resolving some of the environmental issues normally associated with the use of phthalate-based plasticizers.