Sustainable synthesis of epoxidized waste cooking oil via Prileschajew reaction: Optimization and kinetic study

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, waste cooking oil‐based palm oil (WCO‐PO) was chosen as feedstock for epoxidation reaction. The epoxidation process of WCO‐PO was carried out using in situ generated performic acid or known as Prileschajew reaction. Based on the Taguchi method of optimization and analysis of variance, a series of experiments were conducted around the optimum conditions or parameters. The findings revealed that the optimal reaction conditions for producing epoxidized waste cooking oil with the highest oxirane content were a hydrogen peroxide molar ratio of 2.0, a temperature of 55°C, formic acid molar ratio of 2.0, and catalyst loading of 0.5% at a constant stirrer speed of 300 rpm and 0.5% catalyst. By employing these optimal conditions, the maximum relative conversion of waste cooking oil to oxirane was achieved at 70.6%. Besides, the rate constant and activation energy for epoxidation of WCO‐PO at optimum condition were 0.0221 min−1 and 50.55 kJ mol−1, respectively. Overall, epoxidized WCO‐PO was successfully produced by using optimum process parameters of epoxidation.