THERMAL STABILITY STUDY OF METAL CARBOXYLATES OF Cucurbita pepo SEED OIL

The study investigated the thermal stability of Cucurbita pepo seed oil carboxylates in the temperature range of 433, 453 and 473K. The carboxylates, prepared via metathesis in ethanol, exhibited characteristic vibrations (1633-1398 cm⁻¹) conrming formation of the carboxylates. The decomposition rate constants were found to be of the order of 10⁻³ min⁻¹, with activation energy values spanning 12.0- ǂ 18.4 kJ mol⁻¹. The activation enthalpy (ΔH ) was observed in the range of 8.03-14.47 kJ mol⁻¹, indicating ǂ an endothermic behavior. The non-spontaneous decomposition process, indicated by ΔG (113.7-115.7 ǂ kJ mol⁻¹) and -ΔS (0.227-0.244 kJ mol⁻¹ K⁻¹), identied Ba-PSO as the most stable. This suggests the potential use of Cucurbita pepo seed oil for metal carboxylate synthesis thereby, enhancing its commercial value and promoting its cultivation in Nigeria.