EFFECTS OF LEWIS-ACID CATALYSTS ON THE ESTERIFICATION KINETICS OF CASTOR-OIL WITH OLEIC-ACID

The effects of two Lewis acid catalysts, tin chloride and cobalt chlor ide, on the kinetics of the esterification reaction between castor oil and oleic acid have been investigated. Uncatalyzed and catalyzed reac tions were carried out both in the presence of excess oil and with equ ivalent amounts of reactants at various temperatures. The reaction, wi th respect to castor oil concentration, is first-order in all cases, w hereas with acid concentration the reaction was observed to change fro m second order for the uncatalyzed reaction to first-order for tin chl oride-catalyzed and to zero-order for cobalt chloride-catalyzed reacti ons. The order (with respect to acid) also changed with temperature fo r the cobalt chloride-catalyzed reaction.