Enzymatic Epoxidation of Corn Oil by Perstearic Acid

Epoxidized vegetable oils can be used as renewable biodegradable and non-toxic lubricants, polymer stabilizers, and as intermediates. In this study, as a renewable resource, corn oil rich in oleic and linoleic acids, which was epoxidized using hydrogen peroxide as an oxygen donor and stearic acid as an active oxygen carrier in the presence of Novozym 435. The process was optimized for the enzymatic epoxidation of corn oil with an epoxy oxygen group content of 5.8 ± 0.2% and a percentage relative conversion to oxirane of 85.3 ± 2.9% under the following conditions: 35 °C, 28% stearic acid load (relative to the weight of corn oil), 2.7:1 mol ratio of H₂O₂/C=C-bonds, and 10 h. The influence on the enzymatic epoxidation decreased in the order of stearic acid load > reaction temperature ≈ mole ratio of H₂O₂/C=C-bonds >reaction time.