[2PS-206]
Controlled Ester-Bond Cleavage of Castor Oil Using Sequential Acid–Base Processing and Alkali Caustic Fusion
발표자김성호 (부산대학교)
연구책임자허필호 (부산대학교)
공동저자김성호 (부산대학교), 민진규 (부산대학교), 이주홍 (부산대학교), 이재룡 (부산대학교), 배지홍 (부산대학교), 허필호 (부산대학교)
Abstract
Castor oil was converted via triglyceride ester-bond cleavage using (i) conventional alkali caustic fusion (NaOH, KOH, CaO) and (ii) a two-step acid–base sequence consisting of sulfuric acid pretreatment followed by alkaline neutralization under harmonized water-equivalent conditions. In both routes, the extent of ester cleavage and the resulting molecular characteristics were systematically evaluated under comparable reaction environments to enable a direct process-level comparison. While caustic fusion induced only moderate changes in apparent molecular-weight indices and led to the formation of THF-insoluble fractions, the sequential acid–base route yielded fully THF-soluble polyols with a significantly lower apparent number-average molecular weight (Mn ≈ 515 g/mol) and a narrow molecular-weight distribution (PDI ≈ 1.09). Molecular-weight distributions and solubility behavior were assessed using THF-based size exclusion chromatography and solvent compatibility tests to elucidate differences in reaction uniformity. This improvement is attributed to effective acid-catalyzed ester cleavage during the initial step, followed by base-mediated stabilization that suppresses re-esterification reactions. As a result, the sequential acid–base process provides a comparative and practical strategy for producing low-molecular-weight, solvent-compatible polyol mixtures from castor oil without the need for multistep purification, highlighting their potential applicability as polyurethane precursors.