Epoxidized Fatty Acid Alkyl Ester Plasticizer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Phthalate plasticizers, commonly used in flexible polymer products, face scrutiny due to environmental and health concerns, and existing methods for producing epoxidized fatty acid alkyl esters often result in impure products with color issues.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the distillation of fatty acid alkyl esters at high temperatures followed by epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide and formic acid, in specific proportions, to produce epoxidized fatty acid alkyl esters with improved triepoxide content, reduced color, and enhanced solubility in PVC, while avoiding phthalates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional epoxidation methods are used on fatty acid alkyl esters, then plasticizer production is achieved, but the product contains impurities and exhibits poor color
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary distillation to the fatty acid alkyl ester before epoxidation to remove impurities that would otherwise cause color problems in the final product. This preliminary purification step prevents the formation of colored byproducts during the subsequent epoxidation reaction, thereby achieving both high purity and good color without requiring additional post-processing steps.
2Ease of operation
If phthalate plasticizers are used to achieve desired plasticizer properties, then flexibility and processability are improved, but environmental and health concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using epoxidized fatty acid alkyl esters instead of phthalate-based plasticizers. This substitution maintains the desired flexibility and processability properties while eliminating the harmful environmental and health effects associated with phthalates, thereby achieving a safe alternative with equivalent performance.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If distillation is performed at high temperatures to purify fatty acid alkyl esters, then color is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs distillation as a preliminary step before epoxidation to remove impurities that would cause color problems. By conducting distillation before the more energy-intensive epoxidation reaction, the process optimizes energy usage by purifying the feedstock first, thereby reducing the need for additional high-temperature processing steps later in the manufacturing sequence.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process yields a phthalate-free plasticizer with reduced color and improved performance, offering enhanced flexibility and processability in PVC applications, with effective triepoxide content and minimal impurities, addressing the concerns of phthalate-based plasticizers.
Implementation Method 1
distilled fatty acid alkyl ester is distilled at a temperature of at least 210 °C
Implementation Method 2
subjecting said distilled fatty acid alkyl ester to an epoxidation process to thereby produce an epoxidized fatty acid alkyl ester, wherein the epoxidized fatty acid alkyl ester is prepared by first combining and mixing together the fatty acid alkyl ester and formic acid at 30°C, then adding hydrogen peroxide
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a plasticizer composition, polymeric compositions containing the plasticizer composition, and coated conductors comprising the polymeric composition. The plasticizer composition comprises an epoxidized fatty acid alkyl ester having an APHA color value of less than 100, a triepoxide content of at least 6.5 weight percent, and an oxirane oxygen content of at least 5 grams oxirane per 100 grams of epoxidized fatty acid alkyl ester.