Bio-renewable plasticizers derived from vegetable oil
AssigneeRegents of the University of Minnesota
InventorsDharma R. Kodali, Lucas J. Stolp, Mrinal Bhattacharya
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Abstract
A composition includes estolide esters of vegetable oil fatty acid alkyl esters where the vegetable oil has an unsaturation greater than 90 IV. The fatty acid alkyl esters include unsaturated and saturated fatty acid alkyl esters, and each unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester has greater than one estolide ester functionality.
Claims20
A composition comprising estolide esters of vegetable oil fatty acid alkyl esters, where the vegetable oil has an unsaturation of greater than 90 IV, the fatty acid alkyl esters comprise unsaturated and saturated fatty acid alkyl esters, and each unsaturated fatty acid alkyl ester has greater than one estolide ester functionality on average.
A method of making a composition comprising:
- (a) treating vegetable oil fatty acid alkyl esters comprising unsaturated and saturated fatty acid alkyl esters, where the vegetable oil has greater than 90 IV, with an oxidizing agent to form a reaction product comprising epoxy and hydroxyl groups covalently bonded to the fatty acid alkyl esters at the site of unsaturation;
- and
- (b) treating the reaction product with an acylating agent to react the epoxy and hydroxyl groups to form estolide esters covalently bonded to the unsaturated fatty acid alkyl esters such that each fatty acid alkyl ester has greater than one estolide ester functionality on average.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.