The
thermal oxidation characteristics of abietic acid were investigated
through tracing the oxidation process in custom-designed mini closed
pressure vessel test under isothermal and step temperature conditions.
Peroxide generation and the peroxide value of abietic acid oxidation
process were measured using thin-layer chromatographic analysis and
iodimetry. The primary oxidation productperoxidewas
separated by column chromatography with further structure characterization,
and its thermal decomposition characteristics were assessed via a
differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The oxidation was mainly
initiated through the radical generation from hydrogen abstraction
on the unsaturated conjugated double bonds of abietic acid above 343
K. The main hydroperoxide, 7-hydroperoxy-13-abiet-8(14)-enoic acid,
was found in abietic acid with a high peroxide value. The exothermic
onset temperature (T
0) and decomposition
heat (Q
DSC) of this peroxide were 353.94
K and 545.37 J·g–1, respectively. Finally,
a second-stage oxidation process of abietic acid was first investigated
when the temperature reached the abietic acid melt point (448 K) with
complex oxidation products forming, such as dehydroabietic acid, palustric
acid, 7-oxodehydroabietic acid, neoabietic acid, 7-methoxy-tetradehydroabietic
acid, 12-deoxyroyleanone acid, and 12-methoxy-abietic acid.