ARS | Publication request: Catalytic modification of fats and oils to value-added biobased products

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 1, 2011
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Biobased materials derived from fats and oils can be relatively benign to the environment because they tend to have good biodegradability. Oils are used in a myriad of applications, including foods, cosmetics, paints, biodegradable lubricants and polymers, biodiesel, and more. For many of these applications, oils must undergo treatments to impart several desired properties including good oxidative stability and low temperature performance. It is thus important to develop efficient catalytic processes to upgrade oils so that they possess desired properties for intended applications. In this talk, I will present our research efforts in developing highly efficient catalytic routes for the conversion of unsaturated linear-chain fatty acids to important chemical intermediates, including branched-chain fatty acid isomers and dicarboxylic fatty acids, for the production of biodegradable lubricants and polymers. The approaches we developed are environmentally friendly, economically viable, and can have potential positive impacts on the development of new biobased products.