Brazil. In one study, Brazilian researchers evaluated the use of triacylglycerides to produce bio-base resins and bio-fuels suitable for use as a binder in printing inks (offset) and as diesel fuel.
The researchers kept soybean oil under a nitrogen atmosphere at temperatures ranging from 260 °C to 370 °C to 12 hours in the presence or absence of a nickel complex as a catalytic precursor.
It was observed that the reaction occurred in two steps. In the first, the consumption of the double bonds through Diels-Alder to form a polymer occurred, increasing the viscosity of the material. In a second step, pyrolysis of ester groups and alkyd chains were carried out, reducing the viscosity of the polymers.
In addition, using the nickel complex as a catalytic precursor, high activity was observed to produce polymers with a higher viscosity in a shorter time than when compared to non-catalyst reactions.
The bio-fuel formed during the reaction was also analyzed. It was observed that pyrolysis without a catalyst leads to the formation of large amounts of short-chain carboxylic acids. However, the presence of the nickel complex increased the formation of hydrocarbons and reduced the amount of carboxylic acids formed, strongly indicating its activity in deoxygenation.
