ARS | Publication request: Blown lesquerella and castor estolide oils

Submitted to: Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops Conference
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: October 10, 2007
Publication Date: October 10, 2007
Citation: Cermak, S.C., Richardson, R.M., Isbell, T. 2007. Blown lesquerella and castor estolide oils [abstract]. Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops. p. 46.

Technical Abstract: Lesquerella fendleri is a member of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family. Lesquerella is a winter annual seed oil crop native to the desert Southwestern United States and is currently undergoing an intensive research effort for its successful introduction into agriculture. Lesquerella produces a small seed that has 25¿30% oil that contains 55¿64% hydroxy fatty acid. The hydroxy fatty acids of Lesquerella are lesquerolic (55¿60%, 14-hydroxy-cis-11-eicosenoic acid) and auricolic (2¿4%, 14-hydroxy-cis-11-cis-17-eicosenoic acid). The distribution of TG is 10% nonhydroxyacyl, 15% monohydroxyacyl and 73% dihydroxyacyl, which indicates that Lesquerella oil, is essentially a difunctional triglyceride in terms of hydroxy functionalities. The objective of this study was to develop industrial products with Lesquerella and castor oils as a starting material. In the past, estolides have been used to develop new products from new industrial crops. Estolides from Lesquerella have been synthesized with two different methods, either 200 deg C from the fatty acid or 130 deg C using a tin catalyst from the fatty acid or the triglyceride. These estolides were then blown with a steady airflow and elevated temperatures to increase the viscosity of the estolide oils. Triglyceride estolides were synthesized from the hydroxy moieties of Lesquerella and castor oils with oleic and saturated fatty acids. These materials were characterized and physical properties recorded (pour points <-27 deg C). The oil estolides were then subjected to a steady air flow at 100 deg C for different lengths of times (12-168 hrs). The viscosities at 40 deg C for the blown estolide oils increased from 126.6 to 928.5 cSt in the Lesquerella series and from 125.6 to 473.5 cSt in the castor series while maintaining acceptable low temperature properties. Many new and useful products and applications have been developed for Lesquerella and castor oil estolides.