Synthesis of biobased surfactants

Abstract

This work conducts a technical analysis of the current production and consumption of vegetable oils and some of the oily byproducts to determine the potential feedstock for the synthesis of non-food-competitive surfactants and surfactant-based systems. It defines the concentrated phosphatides (phosphatidic sludge) as no-low- value streams, appropriately suited for chemical valorisation. The study further creates biobased surfactants by amidation of phosphatidic sludge derived from refinery of vegetable oils with amines of different basicity, under the action of calcium oxide as catalyst.