Volatile compounds from thermally oxidized methyl oleate.

Area of Science:

• Organic Chemistry
• Chemical Kinetics
• Oxidation Reactions

Background:

• Methyl oleate is a common fatty acid ester.
• Understanding its thermal degradation is crucial for various industrial applications.
• Autoxidation is a known degradation pathway for unsaturated esters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the thermal oxidation of methyl oleate.
• To identify the degradation products formed.
• To elucidate the mechanism of degradation at elevated temperatures.

Main Methods:

• Thermal oxidation experiments conducted from 50°C to 150°C for up to 30 minutes.
• Quantitative analysis of degradation products using gas liquid chromatography (GLC).
• Identification of products via mass spectrometry and confirmed by organic synthesis.

Main Results:

• Identified various degradation products including heptane, octane, 2-decanone, benzene, o-xylene, and methyl esters (hexanoate to octanoate).
• Mass spectrometry provided evidence for methyl pimelaldehydate, methyl suberaldehydate, and methyl azelaaldehydate.
• Organic synthesis confirmed the identity of methyl azelaaldehydate.

Conclusions:

• The observed degradation products strongly suggest that autoxidation is the primary mechanism responsible for methyl oleate decomposition under the studied thermal conditions.
• The study provides a detailed analysis of methyl oleate's thermal oxidation pathway.