Carbonation of epoxy methyl soyate at atmospheric pressure.

Vegetable oils are important substrates for the development of biobased products that may replace products derived from petroleum. Carbonated methyl soyates were prepared at atmospheric pressures from epoxy methyl soyate by the introduction of carbon dioxide at the oxirane position. Carbonation was performed by sparging carbon dioxide gas through the neat epoxy esters at atmospheric pressure in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide catalyst. Analysis of reaction mixtures showed that 42% of the epoxide groups were carbonated after 18 h at 80 degrees C with 1 wt% catalyst compared to 63% using liquid carbon dioxide at 54 atm pressure.