This study is related to producing a set of fatty acid esters from different vegetable oils and C1–C12 alcohols. A total of 66 products were synthesized. The obtained esters were characterized by fatty acid composition, density, viscosity, saponification value, acid value, iodine value, low-temperature properties, and oxidative stability. It was established that the fatty acid composition, as well as alcohol, used has a significant impact on esters properties. Comparing physicochemical properties of fatty acid esters with existing standards and specifications, it was proposed to use esters for different industrial applications. In particular, rapeseed oil fatty acid methyl esters are an ideal candidate for application as biodiesel, while transesterification of soybean oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, and coconut oil with higher alcohols led to products with promising properties as bio-lubricants. Castor oil alkyl esters could potentially be utilized as base oils due to their excellent viscosity and low-temperature properties.

The MIL-100(Cr), PW12@MIL-100(Cr) and PW4@MIL-100(Cr) catalysts were prepared and characterized through XRD, FTIR, BET, SEM, EDS and Raman spectroscopy. A comparison of the catalytic properties of the synthesized materials in the epoxidation of FAMEs with hydrogen peroxide was made. The PW4@MIL-100(Cr) catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity and provided a high selectivity for the formation of epoxides. The effects of the reaction temperature, catalyst loading, reaction time and FAME:hydrogen peroxide molar ratio on the reaction performance were investigated, and the optimal process conditions were determined. An epoxide yield of 73% with a selectivity of 77% could be obtained using PW4@MIL-100(Cr) after 4 h at 40 °C. The catalytic stability test showed that PW4@MIL-100(Cr) could be easily separated and reused without any treatment for at least five consecutive cycles without a loss of activity or selectivity.