Epoxidation of Camelina sativa oil and peel adhesion properties

• Epoxidation parameters of camelina oil were optimized.
• Maximal epoxy content of 7.52 wt% with a conversion rate of 76.34% was obtained.
• Epoxidation efficiency is affected by fatty acids composition and distribution.
• Camelina oil showed great potential for adhesive applications.

Camelina oil is a promising material for the biopolymer industry due to its high unsaturated fatty acid content of 90%. The aim of this study was to optimize the epoxidation parameters of camelina oil. The epoxidation reaction of camelina oil was completed with formic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Catalyst ratio, reaction time, and temperature effects on the epoxidation reaction were studied. The optimum epoxy content of 7.52 wt% with a conversion rate of 76.34% was obtained for camelina oil using excess hydrogen peroxide and a molar ratio of formic acid of less than 1 for 5 h at 50 °C. We also found that epoxidation efficiency is significantly affected by fatty acids composition, structure, and distribution. The di-hydroxylized epoxidized camelina oil showed higher peel adhesion when it was formulated with epoxidized soybean oils. Epoxidized camelina oil has potential industrial applications in the field of pressure sensitive adhesives, coatings, and resins.