Commercial Castor Oil Research Articles

Rigid polyurethane foams from commercial castor oil resins

Rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) are among the most used polymeric materials due to their tailorable properties. Greener and biobased polyol sources for synthesising RPUFs have been recently prototyped because of the ever-growing demand for more sustainable materials solutions. Castor Oil has also rapidly become one of the most successful alternatives to replace polyurethane fossil-based components. This study extensively investigates three types of RPUFs developed from commercially available Castor Oil-based resins, correlating their properties across different length scales. In particular, X-ray diffraction identified a characteristic peak whose intensity correlated with the apparent foam density, morphology (obtained from computed tomography scans) and mechanical properties. Furthermore, quasi-static compression and vibration transmissibility tests revealed distinctive anisotropic mechanical responses among the foams, with one type of RPUF consistently outperforming the others due to its lower porosity, reaching 13.3 MPa of compressive modulus. These findings demonstrate the possibility of tuning the mechanical properties of foams via compositional control.

Sustainable Castor Bean Biodiesel Through Ricinus communis L. Lipase Extract Catalysis.

The rise in oil prices, global warming, and the depletion of nonrenewable resources have led researchers to study sustainable alternatives to increasing energy demand. The autocatalysis from castor oil and castor lipases to produce biodiesel can be an excellent alternative to reduce the production costs and avoid the drawbacks of chemical transesterification. This study aimed to evaluate the catalytic activity of castor bean lipase extract (CBLE) on three vegetable oils hydrolysis, to obtain and enhance biodiesel yield by an autocatalysis from castor oil and CBLE. Furthermore, the enzymatic biodiesel physicochemical quality was analyzed. The enzymatic activity for olive oil was 76.12 U, 90.06 U for commercial castor oil, and 75.60 U in raw castor oil. The hydrolysis percentages were high at 25°C, pH 4.5, for 4h with 97.18% for olive oil, 98.86%, and 96.19% for commercial and raw castor oil, respectively. The CBLE catalyzed the transesterification reaction on castor oil to obtain 82.91% biodiesel yield under the selected conditions of 20% lipase loading, 1:6 oil/methanol molar ratio, and 10% buffer pH 4.5, 37°C for 8h. The castor biodiesel quality satisfied the ASTM-D6751 (USA) and EN-14214 (European Union) values, except for the density, viscosity, and moisture, as expected for this kind of biodiesel.

Polyurethane derived from castor oil monoacylglyceride (Ricinus communis) for bone defects reconstruction: characterization and in vivo testing

Biomaterials used in tissue regeneration processes represent a promising option for the versatility of its physical and chemical characteristics, allowing for assisting or speeding up the repair process stages. This research has characterized a polyurethane produced from castor oil monoacylglyceride (Ricinus communis L) and tested its effect on reconstructing bone defects in rat calvaria, comparing it with commercial castor oil polyurethane. The characterizations of the synthesized polyurethane have been performed by spectroscopy in the infrared region with Fourier transform (FTIR); thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTG); X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). For the in vivo test, 24 animals have been used, divided into 3 groups: untreated group (UG); control group treated with Poliquil® castor polyurethane (PCP) and another group treated with castor polyurethane from the Federal University of Piauí - UFPI (CPU). Sixteen weeks after surgery, samples of the defects were collected for histological and histomorphometric analysis. FTIR analysis has shown the formation of monoacylglyceride and polyurethane. TG and DTG have indicated thermal stability of around 125 °C. XRD has determined the semi-crystallinity of the material. The polyurethane SEM has shown a smooth morphology with areas of recesses. Histological and histomorphometric analyzes have indicated that neither CPU nor PCP induced a significant inflammatory process, and CPU has shown, statistically, better performance in bone formation. The data obtained shows that CPU can be used in the future for bone reconstruction in the medical field.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Ricinoleyl Hydroxamic Acid Based on Commercial Castor Oil, Cytotoxicity Properties and Application as a New Anticancer Agent.

BackgroundNew anticancer agents that rely on natural/healthy, not synthetic/toxic, components are very much needed.MethodsRicinoleyl hydroxamic acid (RHA) was synthesized from castor oil and hydroxylamine using Lipozyme TL IM as a catalyst. To optimize the conversion, the effects of the following parameters were investigated: type of organic solvent, period of reaction, amount of enzyme, the molar ratio of reactants and temperature. The highest conversion was obtained when the reaction was carried out under the following conditions: hexane as a solvent; reaction period of 48 hours; 120 mg of Lipozyme TL IM/3 mmol oil; HA-oil ratio of 19 mmol HA/3 mmol oil; and temperature of 40°C. The cytotoxicity of the synthesized RHA was assessed using human dermal fibroblasts (HDF), and its application towards fighting cancer was assessed using melanoma and glioblastoma cancer cells over a duration of 24 and 48 hours.ResultsRHA was successfully synthesized and it demonstrated strong anticancer activity against glioblastoma and melanoma cells at as low as a 1 µg/mL concentration while it did not demonstrate any toxicity against HDF cells.ConclusionThis is the first report on the synthesis of RHA with great potential to be used as a new anticancer agent.

Comparison between a commercial blend of functional oils and monensin on the performance and microbiota of coccidiosis-challenged broilers

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a cashew nut shell oil and commercial castor oil blend (CNSL-Castor oil) on the performance and microbiota of broiler chickens with and without coccidiosis challenge. A total of 864 one-day-old male chicks (Cobb) were randomly distributed to receive 6 treatments (8 pens/treatment; 18 chicks/pen) in a 3 × 2 factorial, with 3 additives (control [non-additives], 100ppm sodium monensin, or 0.15% CNSL-Castor oil blend), and 2 levels of coccidiosis challenge at 14 D of age (unchallenged or inoculated by gavage with 1mL of solution containing oocysts sporulated with Eimeria tenella, Eimeria acervulina, and Eimeria maxima). No differences in productive performance were observed among treatments in the pre-challenge period and in unchallenged birds (P > 0.05). Seven-days post-challenge, birds receiving monensin performed better than birds in the positive control group (non-additive and challenge) or in the CNSL-Castor oil group (P > 0.05). However, 14 D post-challenge, birds supplemented with CNSL-Castor oil presented higher weight gain and better feed conversion (P > 0.05), without any change in feed intake (P > 0.05). During the accumulated period (1 to 42 D of age), the live weight, weight gain, and feed intake did not differ between the CNSL-Castor oil and monensin groups, both of which presented higher values than the positive control. Lactobacillus spp. and Clostridium perfringens numbers were increased in the challenged birds (P < 0.05). CNSL-Castor oil supplementation reduced Clostridium cluster XIV, C. perfringens, and S. aureus, compared with the monensin and control groups (P > 0.05). In addition, the CNSL-Castor oil group presented the highest number of Lactobacillus spp. copies, followed by the monensin and positive control groups (P > 0.05). Thus, monensin and CNSL-Castor oil effectively minimized the impact of coccidiosis at different times. While monensin acts as an antimicrobial, CNSL-Castor oil modulates the intestinal microbiota with antimicrobial action against gram-positive bacteria, mainly C. perfringens and S. aureus.

Synthesis of (S)-ricinoleic acid and its methyl ester with the participation of ionic liquid

(R)-Ricinoleic acid methyl ester obtained from commercial castor oil was transformed in a three-step procedure into its S-enantiomer in overall 36% yield using ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate) in the key step process. The developed procedure provides easy access to (S)-ricinoleic acid and its methyl ester of over 95% enantiomeric excess. Optical rotations of the newly obtained compounds as well as their chromatographic and spectral characteristics are provided and discussed in the context of enantiopurity both of the substrate material and the final products.

Nonionic polyoxazoline surfactants based on renewable source: Synthesis, surface and bulk properties

The synthesis of amphiphilic lipid-polyoxazoline based on copolymers ( CO-POx n ) with narrow distribution has been achieved via cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline ( MOx). Lipid-macroinitiator ( COTs) was obtained from commercial castor oil ( CO), a widely renewable agricultural resource. CO-POx n with various length segments was synthesized from a macroinitiator COTs in order to investigate the effect of the length of the hydrophilic segment on the solution behaviour of the nonionic polymer surfactants CO-POx n . The results showed that the critical micelle concentration increased with the increase of POx content and inversely surface tension decreased. The average size of aggregates of these structures suggested the formation of vesicles or nonspherical micelles. Star-shaped morphology of CO-POx n in solid state has also been observed using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Additionally energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis demonstrated the presence of POx block in the concentric stripes of the texture.

Sequential Interpenetrating Polymer Networks Produced from Vegetable Oil Based Polyurethane and Poly(methyl methacrylate)

Sequential interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were prepared using polyurethane produced from a canola oil based polyol with primary terminal functional groups and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The properties of the material were studied and compared to the IPNs made from commercial castor oil using dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, as well as tensile measurements. The morphology of the IPNs was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical diversity of the starting materials allowed the evaluation of the effects of dangling chains and graftings on the properties of the IPNs. The polymerization process of canola oil based IPNs was accelerated because of the utilization of polyol with primary functional groups, which efficiently lessened the effect of dangling chains and yielded a higher degree of phase mixing. The mechanical properties of canola oil based IPNs containing more than 75 wt % PMMA were comparable to the corresponding castor oil based IPNs; both were superior to those of the constituent polymers due to the finely divided rubber and plastic combination structures in these IPNs. However, when PMMA content was less than 65 wt %, canola oil based IPNs exhibited a typical mechanical behavior of rigid plastics, whereas castor oil based IPNs showed a typical mechanical behavior of soft rubber. It is proposed that these new IPN materials with high performance prepared from alternative renewable resources can prove to be valuable substitutes for existing materials in various applications.

Characterisation of castor oil by on-line and off-line non-aqueous reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (APCI and UV/MALDI).

A non-aqueous reverse-phase HPLC method, based on two columns in series, has been used to separate the major triacylglycerols (TAGs) from commercial castor oil and to perform either on-line negative ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI), or off-line positive ion matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation (MALDI)/MS. The resulting Mass Spectra showed chloride-attached TAG molecules [M + CI]- in the case of negative-ion APCI, and sodium-attached TAG molecules [M + Na]+ in the case of positive-ion MALDI. For MALDI time-of-flight (TOF)/MS, a liquid binary matrix system consisting of sodium ferrocyanide and glycerol was applied, resulting in excellent TAG sensitivity, which was necessary for the determination of trace amounts of TAGs in castor oil. Both techniques allowed unambiguous molecular mass determination of the intact TAG molecules with no thermal degradation. Furthermore, seamless post source decay (PSD) fragment ion analysis by means of a curved field reflector TOF mass spectrometer allowed the determination of the fatty acid composition of each individual TAG. Castor oil contained eight different TAGs which were successfully determined by both APCI and MALDI techniques. In each TAG, at least two units of 12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (ricinoleic acid) were present. The following fatty acids were determined by seamless PSD fragment ion analysis and APCI/MALDI molecular mass determination as TAG substructures: ricinoleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, dihydroxy stearic acid and eicosenoic acid. Triricinolein was the dominating TAG.

Synthesis of enantiomerically pure volatile compounds derived from ( R)-3-hydroxynonanal

Practical preparations of enantiomerically pure R-configured 3-hydroxynonanal dimethyl acetal, 3-acetoxynonanal dimethyl acetal, methyl 3-acetoxynonanoate, δ-undecalactone, 1,3-nonanediol and its esters, 1,4-decanediol and its esters and 2-hexyltetrahydrofuran based on the ozonolysis product of commercial castor oil are described.

Further study on the one‐pot synthesis of (E)‐2‐nonenal from castor oil

AbstractA one‐step procedure is described for the synthesis of (E)‐2‐nonenal from commercial castor oil by ozonolysis in methanol, followed by reduction of the ozonide products with dimethyl sulfide and exposure of the resulting intermediate product to dilute sulfuric acid. The developed process allows the production of the aldehyde with a yield of 80% at a purity of 95%. The method has advantages over all those reported earlier, because of inexpensive raw material and reducing agent, recycling of the solvent and its unusual simplicity.

One‐pot synthesis of (E)‐2‐nonenal from castor oil

A one‐step procedure for the preparation of (E)‐2‐nonenal from commercial castor oil by ozonolysis in acetic acid, followed by exposure of the resulting intermediate product top‐toluene sulfonic acid, is described. The manufactured aldehyde is of high purity and the method, by virtue of being simple and using inexpensive raw material, has advantages over those reported in the literature.

The Margules Method of Measuring Viscosities Modified to Give Absolute Values

Measurement of absolute viscosities. A method for determining absolute viscosities in a Margules rotating cylinder type viscometer, without the aid of calibrating liquids of known viscosities, is described. This method involves the determination of true viscosity by extrapolating apparent viscosities for several lengths of inside cylinder to that viscosity corresponding to infinite length. By this method the viscosity of the commercial castor oil used is found to be 9.99 poises at 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and 4.61 poises at 30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, as compared with 9.86 and 4.51 poises quoted in the Smithsonian Tables for pure oil at corresponding temperatures.End corrections. The additional length to be applied to the measured length to correct for finite dimensions is computed for several inside cylinders or spindles. When the radius of the outer containing cylinder is 3.2 cm, and the ends of the spindle are 1.5 cm from the upper and lower boundaries of the liquid, the corrections for spindle radii of 0.556 cm and 0.477 cm are found to be 0.62 cm and 0.52 cm respectively as long as the length of the spindle is 5 cm or greater. Accordingly, the end correction is apparently proportional to the 1.18 power of spindle radius.Constancy of calibrating factor. Comparisons are also made between relative viscosities measured by this method and those for the same liquids measured by capillary flow. Results indicate that within experimental error these relative values are the same by both methods, for viscosities between 5 and 3500 poises, showing that the calibrating factor of the concentric cylinder system is constant over this range of viscosities.