Attempt to Polymerize Cucurbita pepo Oil by Temperature Action and Photolysis

The study of the polymerization of a vegetable oil has a double interest; industrial but especially food. Industrial because polymers based on vegetable oil are in line with sustainable development; food because an oil which polymerizes easily is a danger for human consumption. Three situations of Cucurbita pepo oil polymerization are carried out in the course of time, the factor retained being temperature. A monitoring of the evolution of the enthalpy by temperature variation by the DSC method allows to report the polymerization of this oil. It happens that a polymerization is triggered in the oil matrix but it seems to fade very quickly, this behavior is general because after sweeping a temperature range of 80°C; 100°C and 150°C adding different amounts of Irgacure: the Cucurbita pepo oil resists polymerization through its antioxidant compounds. However, a photolysis of this oil carried out over 8 days shows that it effectively polymerizes after 144 hours, which proves the great capacity of antioxidant compounds to protect this oil. The analyses carried out at 25°C aim to simulate the behavior of the oil at room temperature. The results reveal good resistance to both thermochemical and photochemical polymerization, which opens up great prospects for its development in the food industry and in nutrition.