Coordenadores
Reinaldo Giudici
Jacyr Vianna de Quadros Jr.
The total market for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plasticizers has grown at a moderate rate (~3.4% compounded annual growth rate, or CAGR) in the past years, currently valued at approximately USD 15 Billion/yr globally (2019), with a total sales volume of approximately 6,400 ton/yr. The bio-based plasticizers market is valued at USD 2.7 Billion/yr, with a growth rate of 10.7% CAGR, as sustainability becomes increasingly relevant for consumers, pushing converters to reformulate with more sustainable options. The current sales volume of ESBO and its derivatives is estimated at 600 kt/yr. Preliminary tests indicate that high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) has a significantly different behavior after epoxidized when compared to regular soybean oil. The epoxidized high oleic soybean oil (EHOSBO) is colorless, whereas the epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) is yellow, with a slightly lower oxirane value. This feature alone may be sufficient to justify further investigations, as one important obstacle to increased adoption of ESBO and its derivatives in the flexible PVC industry is color. ESHOSBO should also contain less incompatible molecules due to its lower concentration of fully saturated fatty acids. On top of that, the low–temperature behavior seems to be different and needs to be investigated in further detail. The use of the EHOSBO as a raw material for second and third–generation plasticizers also needs to be evaluated. Initial tests indicate that the final material and the residual glycerin are also colorless, potentially adding value to the final products. The investigation will focus on validating ESHOSBO and its derivatives in PVC applications, building on the company’s extensive experience in the segment and University of S. Paulo (USP) well equipped facilities. The investigation will include preparation of samples and chemical characterization. The application performance will be done in a separate facility.