Thermal polymerization of unsaturated fatty esters normal methyl linoleate

Abstract

Summary Debromination methyl linoleate has been polymerized at 290° and 300° for varying periods, and analysis has been made for monomer, dimer, trimer, normal, and conjugated linoleate. The disappearance of normal linoleate follows a first order reaction rate with values of K=0.10 hr. −1 at 300° and 0.05 hr. −1 at 290°. Polymerization of mixtures of normal and conjugated linoleate indicate that dimer may be formed by their reaction with each other. The value for K, the first order reaction velocity constant for disappearance of normal linoleate, decreases to a limiting value on dilution with methyl stearate. This limiting value is about one‐fourth that obtained on undiluted linoleate. The above facts are qualitatively explained by assuming that the mechanism of dimerization of normal linoleate is extensively: N»C relatively slow N+C→D relatively rapid.