Synthesis of surface-modified porous polysulfides from soybean oil by inverse vulcanization and its sorption behavior for Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cr(III).

Guided by efficient utilization of natural plant oil and sulfur as low-cost sorbents, it is desired to tailor the porosity and composition of polysulfides to achieve their optimal applications in the management of aquatic heavy metal pollution. In this study, polysulfides derived from soybean oil and sulfur (PSSs) with improved porosity (10.2-22.9 m2/g) and surface oxygen content (3.1-7.0 wt.%) were prepared with respect to reaction time of 60 min, reaction temperature of 170 °C, and mass ratios of sulfur/soybean oil/NaCl/sodium citrate of 1:1:3:2. The sorption behaviors of PSSs under various hydrochemical conditions such as contact time, pH, ionic strength, coexisting cations and anions, temperature were systematically investigated. PSSs presented a fast sorption kinetic (5.0 h) and obviously improved maximum sorption capacities for Pb(II) (180.5 mg/g), Cu(II) (49.4 mg/g), and Cr(III) (37.0 mg/g) at pH 5.0 and T 298 K, in comparison with polymers made without NaCl/sodium citrate. This study provided a valuable reference for the facile preparation of functional polysulfides as well as a meaningful option for the removal of aquatic heavy metals.

Inverse vulcanization induced oxygen modified porous polysulfides for efficient sorption of heavy metals.

The applications of polysulfides derived from natural plant oil and sulfur via the inverse vulcanization in the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions suffered from their low porosity and scarce surface functionality because of their hydrophobic surfaces and bulk characteristics. In this study, polysulfides from sulfur and palm oil (PSPs) with significantly enhanced porosity (13.7-24.1 m2/g) and surface oxygen-containing functional groups (6.9-8.6 wt.%) were synthesized with the optimization of process conditions including reaction time, temperature, and mass ratios of sulfur/palm oil/NaCl/sodium citrate. PSPs were applied as sorbents to remove heavy metals present in aqueous solutions. The integration of porosity and oxygen modification allowed a fast kinetic (4.0 h) and enhanced maximum sorption capacities for Pb(II) (218.5 mg/g), Cu(II) (74.8 mg/g), and Cr(III) (68.4 mg/g) at pH 5.0 and T 298 K comparing with polysulfides made without NaCl/sodium citrate. The sorption behaviors of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cr(III) on PSPs were highly dependent on the solution pH values and ionic strength. The sorption presented excellent anti-interference capability for the coexisting cations and anions. The sorption processes were endothermic and spontaneous. This work would guide the preparation of porous polysulfides with surface modification as efficient sorbents to remediate heavy metals from aqueous solutions.

Immobilized lipase-catalyzed transesterification for synthesis of biolubricant from palm oil methyl ester and trimethylolpropane.

The present study reports the effects of three commercial immobilized lipases namely Novozyme 435 from Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB), Lipozyme TL IM from Thermomyces lanuginosus and Lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei on the production of trimethylolpropane (TMP) ester from high oleic palm methyl ester (HO-PME) and TMP. The TMP ester is a promising base oil for biolubricants that are easily biodegradable and non-toxic to humans and the environment. Enzymatic catalysts are insensitive to free fatty acid (FFA) content, hence able to mitigate the side reactions and consequently reduce product separation cost. The potential of these enzymes to produce TMP ester in a solvent-free medium was screened at various reaction time (8, 23, 30 and 48 h), operating pressure (0.1, 0.3 and 1.0 mbar) and enzyme dosage (1, 3, 5 and 10% w/w). The reaction was conducted at a constant temperature of 70 °C and a molar ratio of 3.9:1 (HO-PME: TMP). Novozyme 435 produced the highest yield of TMP ester of 95.68 ± 3.60% under the following conditions: 23 h reaction time, 0.1 mbar operating pressure and 5% w/w of enzyme dosage. The key lubrication properties of the produced TMP ester are viscosity index (208 ± 2), pour point (- 30 ± - 2 °C), cloud point (- 15 ± - 2 °C), onset thermal degradation temperature (427.8 °C), and oxidation stability, RPVOT (42 ± 4 min). The properties of the TMP ester produced from the enzymatic transesterification are comparable to other vegetable oil-based biolubricants produced by chemical transesterification.