Polyol Through Synergistic Hydrolysis and Alcoholysis in the In Situ Peracid Epoxidation of Palm Stearin

Abstract

This study explores the use of palm stearin as a natural, renewable substances as alternatives to petroleum-based raw materials for synthesizing polyols. Palm oil-based polyols enhance polyurethane properties and reduce environmental impact, making them suitable for sustainable applications in automotive interiors, furniture, and insulation materials. During polyol synthesis, water and alcohol act as nucleophilic reagents that are typically used individually. Conversely, this study employs a novel approach to enhance the polyol yield through synergistic hydrolysis and alcoholysis via in situ peracid epoxidation of palm stearin. The epoxidation of palm stearin reaction involves introducing an oxygen atom to form an epoxide, followed by ring opening with nucleophiles which lead to the formation of polyol palm stearin. The optimal conditions for synthesis polyol with a maximum hydroxyl value of 189 mg KOH/g: (1) an alcohol to palm stearin molar ratio of 2:1, (2) a water to palm stearin molar ratio of 1.5:1, and (3) a mixing time of 1 h. In the FTIR analysis, the polyol shows a broad OH stretching band around 3450 cm⁻¹, indicating the presence of hydroxyl groups. In kinetic modelling, there was a significant alignment between the simulation and experimental results, confirming the model’s reliability. The model’s predictive accuracy, with an R² value of 0.952, indicates a strong correlation between experimental and simulated data.