Polymercaptanized soybean oil – properties and tribological characterization

Authors: Biresaw, Girma; LANSING, JAMES - Orise Fellow; Bantchev, Grigor; Murray, Rex

Submitted to: Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/5/2016
Publication Date: 5/21/2017
Citation: Biresaw, G., Lansing, J., Bantchev, G.B., Murray, R.E. 2017. Polymercaptanized soybean oil – properties and tribological characterization [abstract]. Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Annual Meeting and Exhibition, May 21-25, 2017, Atlanta, GA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Polymercaptanized vegetable oils are produced in industrial scale by the addition of hydrogen sulfide across double bonds or epoxides of vegetable oils, in the presence of UV-light. To date, soybean oil, epoxidized soybean oil, and castor oil has been mercaptanized using such a procedure. Depending on the structure of the starting vegetable oil, the polymercaptanized product may contain multiple thiol groups only, or a mixture of multiple thiol and hydroxyl groups. This presentation deals with polymercaptanized soybean oil (PMSO), which contains up to 2.9 thiol groups per triglyceride and no hydroxyl groups. PMSO has been used as a co-monomer for numerous applications, including for the synthesis of coatings, sealants, and foam. It has also been functionalized further by reacting it with a variety of allyl compounds in the presence of UV light; and the resulting products used as precursors for the synthesis of rigid and flexible biobased polymers. To date, PMSO has not been investigated for its tribological properties, even though the presence of multiple sulfur groups per molecule could potentially provide it with multi-functional additive properties. This paper discusses our investigation into the chemical, physical, and tribological properties of PMSO.