Synthesis and Tribological Studies of Branched Alcohol Derived Epoxidized Biodiesel

The optimization and kinetics of the ring-opening reaction of an epoxidized biodiesel (epoxidized rapeseed oil methyl ester) (EBD) with 2-ethyl hexanol (2-EH) were studied. The determined optimum conditions were 4:1 2-EH/oil molar ratio, 90 °C, 18 h, and 7 wt % of Amberlyst D001 (dry) catalyst; the product’s oxirane oxygen content was 0.081% with 38.32 mm(2)/s viscosity at 40 °C. The catalyst retained its high catalytic power after recycling five times. Furthermore, the determined non-catalyzed activation energy was 76 kJ·mol(−1) and 54 kJ·mol(−1) with the D001 resin catalyst. The product’s chemical structure was investigated through FT-IR and (1)H NMR. The viscosity, flash point, pour point, and anti-wear properties of the product were improved compared with those of epoxidized biodiesel.