Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 21 No 6 (2017): 1423 - 1431

CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF EPOXIDIZED PALM OIL FOR BIOLUBRICANT APPLICATION

(Pengubahsuaian Kimia Minyak Sawit Terepoksida Untuk Aplikasi Biopelincir)

Nurazira Mohd Nor, Darfizzi Derawi, Jumat Salimon*

School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology,

Faculty of Science and Technology,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: jumat@ukm.edu.my

Received: 28 September 2016; Accepted: 6 March 2017

Abstract

Refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) palm oil is one of the interesting renewable resources in biolubricant application. It is due to some advantages such as biodegradable, non-toxic, excellent lubricity and high viscosity index properties. However, direct application of RBD palm oil as biolubricant is restricted due to its poor low temperature property, which limits its use at low operating temperature. This drawback can be overcome by molecule structural redesign through chemical modification process. To produce palm oil based biolubricant with good pour point, epoxidized palm oil (EPO) was chemically modified via ring opening process. EPO was reacted with oleic acid in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) as catalyst. The molecular structure confirmation of ring opening product which is palm oil hydroxy oleate (POHO) was proven through the oxirane oxygen content (OOC) value, iodin value, hydroxyl value, Fourier transformation infra-red (FTIR), proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR) spectroscopy analysis. The physicochemical properties of POHO were determined through its pour point and flash point values. The results showed that the ring opening process for putting bending and branching molecule structures of the oil have improved the pour point (-8.5 ^oC) and increased the flash point of the biolubricant (255 ^oC).

Keywords: epoxidized palm oil, oleic acid, ring opening, pour point

Abstrak

Minyak sawit tertapis, terluntur dan terbau (RBD) merupakan salah satu sumber boleh diperbaharui yang menarik dalam penghasilan biopelincir. Ini adalah disebabkan oleh kelebihannya seperti boleh dibiodegradasikan, tidak bersifat toksik, mempunyai kebolehpelinciran yang cemerlang dan indeks kelikatan yang tinggi. Walau bagaimanapun, penggunaan secara terus mintak masa RBD sebagai biopelincir adalah terhad disebabkan oleh sifat suhu rendah yang lemah, yang telah mengehadkan penggunaannya dalam operasi bersuhu rendah. Kelemahan ini boleh diatasi dengan melakukan ubahsuai struktur molekul melalui pengubahsuaian kimia. Dalam usaha untuk menghasilkan biopelincir berasaskan minyak sawit dengan nilai takat tuang yang baik, minyak sawit terepoksida telah diubahsuai secara kimia melalui proses pembukaan gelang epoksida. Minyak sawit terepoksida ditindakbalaskan dengan asid oleik dengan kehadiran asid p-toluenasulfonik (PTSA) sebagai mangkin. Pengecaman struktur molekul hasil pembukaan gelang epoksida iaitu hidroksi oleate minyak sawit (POHO) dibuktikan melalui nilai kandungan oksigen oksiran, nilai iodin, nilai hidroksil, spektroskopi Infra merah transformasi Fourier (FTIR), proton dan karbon resonans magnetik nuklear (¹H-NMR dan ¹³C-NMR). Sifat fiziko-kimia POHO ditentukan melalui nilai takat tuang dan takat kilat. Hasil kajian menunjukkan proses pembukaan gelang epoksida dengan penambahan struktur molekul bercabang dan bengkok minyak telah memperbaiki nilai takat tuang (-8.5 ^oC) dan meningkatkan nilai takat kilat biopelincir (255 ^oC).

Kata kunci: minyak sawit terepoksida, asid oleik, pembukaan gelang, takat tuang

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