A STUDY OF THE AUTOXIDATION OF SOME UNSATURATED FATTY-ACID METHYL-ESTERS USING FOURIER-TRANSFORM RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY

Near-infrared Fourier transform Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy have been used to investigate the chemical changes taking place during the curing reaction of several fatty acid methyl esters, which are used for modelling processes in the autoxidation of alkyd resin coatings. We have studied methyl oleate, methyl linoleate, and methyl linolenate in an attempt to monitor the degree of unsaturation within the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMES) during the complex autoxidation/polymerisation reaction that takes place once the paint system is coated onto a substrate and exposed to the atmosphere. The peaks around 1655 cm-1 have been assigned as follows: to the trans isomer at 1670 cm-1, the cis isomer at 1655 cm-1 and the conjugated structure at 1640 cm-1 [B. Schrader, Raman/Infrared Atlas of Organic Compounds (2nd Edn), VCH, Weinheim (1989); J. K. Abenyega, M. Claybourn and G. Ellis, in preparation]. Raman spectra for the cure of methyl linoleate after 24 h show several interesting features, suggesting the formation of a highly conjugated cyclic structure. Current theories about the mechanism for the autoxidation of methyl linoleate make no mention of this aromatic product.