Ethoxylation of Fatty Acids Fractions of Overused Vegetable Oils

Unsaturated and saturated fatty acids fractions were separated from overused sunflower and olein oils, which are considered to be a waste, in order to use them in the preparation of valuable ethoxylated fatty derivatives with low cost of preparation. Fatty acid fractions were ethoxylated using ethylene oxide gas in the presence of 1% K₂CO₃ catalyst at 120 and 180 °C for 5, 6 and 7 h. Also fresh stearic acid and a fresh mixture of stearic acid:sunflower oil (1:1 wt/wt) were ethoxylated at 180 °C for 6 h for comparison. Results showed that effective fatty derivatives could be obtained from overused oils which may give an economic retrieval. Also, reaction conditions have different effects on the properties of the produced derivatives where the best results were obtained for samples prepared at 180 °C for 6 and 7 h. Ethoxylating the saturated fatty acids fraction of both overused oils especially olein oil gave better results than those of the unsaturated fraction, the ethoxylated fresh stearic acid and the ethoxylated fresh mixture of stearic acid:sunflower oil (1:1 wt/wt).