Selective epoxidation of soybean oil with performic acid catalyzed by acidic ionic exchange resins

This work studied the epoxidation of soybean oil with aqueous hydrogen peroxide and formic acid, in the presence of acidic ionic exchange resins as catalysts. Amberlyst 16 was found to actively and highly selectively promote this reaction, and it also had good resistance to thermal and physical degradation. These properties also allow this resin to be used in continuous processes. A detailed study was carried out to determine the best operating conditions for the epoxidation of soybean oil in semibatch reactors, and preliminary epoxidation runs were performed in a continuous packed bed tubular reactor.