Catalytic processes for preparing estolide base oils
Provided herein are processes for preparing estolides and estolide base oils from fatty acid reactants utilizing catalysts. Further provided herein are processes for preparing carboxylic esters from at least one carboxylic acid reactant and at least one olefin.
1. A process comprising:
providing a composition comprising one or more fatty acid reactants; and
exposing the composition to a homogenous catalyst and a solid-supported catalyst to provide an ester product.
2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one alcohol.
3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the homogenous catalyst comprises at least one Bronsted acid.
4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the homogenous acid comprises a sulfonic acid.
5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-supported catalyst comprises a polymer-supported acid catalyst.
6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the polymer-supported acid catalyst comprises a sulfonic acid polymer.
7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is exposed to the homogenous catalyst in a first reactor.
8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the composition is exposed to the solid-supported catalyst in a second reactor.
9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the ester product comprises an estolide ester.
10. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising hydrogenating the ester product to provide a hydrogenated ester.