Synthesis and Surface-active Properties of Polyethylene Glycol Modified Rapeseed Oil

The nonionic surfactant polyethylene glycol ester of fatty acids was prepared with rapeseed oil as the main raw material by alcoholysis with methanol and then transesterification of the methyl ester of rapeseed oil fatty acids with polyethylene glycol 400(PEG400) in the presence of alkali catalyst.Thus,methyl ester of the fatty acids and PEG400 in mass ratio 2.0∶1.0,in the presence of 0.8% catalyst CaO/ZrO2(relative to the quality of total reactants),reacted at 130 ℃ for 7.5 h to give polyethylene glycol ester of the fatty acids in 91.56% yield.The cloud point of the product was 53 ℃,the surface tension was 35 mN/m,the emulsifiability was 361 s,and the wettability was 59 s,denoting a good surface activity.