The cationic polymerization of tung oil and its fatty-acid methyl ester

Author(s)

Lacerda, Talita M. ^[1] ; Gandini, Alessandro ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Lorena Sch Engn, Biotechnol Dept, BR-12602810 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Grenoble Alpes, LGP2, F-38000 Grenoble - France

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS; v. 157, DEC 1 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

The use of renewable resources for the synthesis of macromolecular materials is a very promising strategy, which opens the way to the production of new polymers with a reduced environmental impact. Vegetable oils have been considered for this purpose for decades, with many well established commercial materials. Herein, tung oil and its major fatty acid methyl ester were submitted for the first time to cationic polymerization using trifluoroacetic acid as an initiator of moderate strength. While crude tung oil quickly polymerized to form crosslinked gel-like materials, the cationic polymers from methyl alpha-eleostearate remained soluble even when high concentrations of acid were used, thus allowing its progress to be followed by NMR spectroscopy. Besides gathering information on the properties of the isolated polymers, it was therefore possible to access some important mechanistical aspects related to both the cationic polymerization and the cyclization of the conjugated trienes borne by the tung oil backbone. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/24407-6 - Sustainable strategies for the development of new macromolecular materials
• Grantee: Talita Martins Lacerda
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• FAPESP's process: 17/16062-6 - Cationic polymerization of unsaturated vegetable oils and application as matrix in biocomposites with bacterial celulose
• Grantee: Talita Martins Lacerda
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants