Catalytic Epoxidation of a Mixture of Oleic Acid and Waste Cooking Oil Using a Homogeneous Catalyst

This study investigates the in situ epoxidation of a hybrid feedstock comprising waste cooking oil and oleic acid to enhance oxirane conversion for sustainable epoxide groups production. A key challenge with waste cooking oil is its low epoxidation efficiency when used alone. By blending it with oleic acid at a 1:1 weight ratio, a maximum relative conversion to oxirane (RCO) of 63.4% was achieved compared to 29.5% when using waste cooking oil alone accompanied by homogenous catalyst usage. The optimum reaction temperature was found at 70 degrees C. Side reactions were minimal within 30 min of reaction time, but ring opening became significant at a higher temperature (80 degrees C) and longer times. FTIR analysis confirmed successful epoxidation, where the disappearance of C=C stretching (similar to 1650 cm(-1)) and the appearance of epoxy ring vibrations (similar to 823 cm(-1)) were observed. Kinetic modeling of the system demonstrated high reaction rates with minimal side reactions, validating the approach's accuracy and robustness. This work presents a novel hybrid strategy to valorize waste cooking oil, offering a more efficient and sustainable route for bio-based epoxide production.