Epoxidised Soybean Oil (ESBO)

About This Product

Epoxidised soybean oil starts as refined soybean oil and is reacted with a peracid, generated in situ from hydrogen peroxide and formic or acetic acid, so that the carbon-carbon double bonds in the oleic, linoleic and linolenic chains of the triglyceride are converted into three-membered epoxide rings. For a buyer coming from the edible oil side, the useful thing to understand is which analytical values now matter. Iodine value, normally a measure of unsaturation in an edible oil, becomes a measure of how completely the epoxidation ran: a low residual iodine value means most double bonds were converted. Oxirane oxygen content is the direct measure of epoxide present and is the figure the material is actually bought on, typically around 6.5% minimum for commercial grades. Free fatty acid and colour remain relevant as they would for any processed oil. The epoxidation is what turns a commodity oil into a functional chemical. The strained epoxide ring is reactive, and that reactivity is the basis of its industrial uses: it opens readily to consume acid, which makes it a stabiliser as well as a plasticiser in polymers, and it serves as a bio-based intermediate for polyols and other derivatives. Because it is derived from an edible oil and is well characterised toxicologically, it holds broad food-contact acceptance, which is unusual for a plasticiser and is why it appears in food packaging and medical applications. Supply is subject to soybean oil availability and pricing, so confirm origin, non-GMO status where required, and current specification at the time of enquiry.