Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 26 No 5 (2022): 989 - 998

 

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NEOPENTYLGLYCOL ESTER AS BIOLUBRICANT BASE STOCK FROM PALM OIL FATTY ACIDS

 

(Sintesis dan Pencirian Ester Neopentilglikol Sebagai Stok Asas Biopelincir

daripada Asid Lemak Minyak Sawit)

 

Nurazira Mohd Nor¹* and Jumat Salimon²

 

¹MaterOleo Research Group, Faculty of Applied Sciences,

Universiti Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Negeri Sembilan,

Kampus Kuala Pilah, 72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

 

²Department of Chemical Sciences,

Faculty of Science and Technology,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

^*Corresponding author: nurazira@uitm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 17 May 2022; Accepted: 6 August 2022; Published:  30 October 2022

 

 

Abstract

Palm oil is one of the potential renewable resources in biolubricant production. However, the direct application of palm oil as a biolubricant base stock is restricted due to some performance limitations such as low oxidative stability. It is due to the presence of oxidation active site β-hydrogen in a glycerol backbone structure. This oxidative drawback can be overcome by molecule structural redesign through a chemical modification process such as esterification with polyhydric alcohol. The esterification of palm oil fatty acids (POFAs) with neopentylglycol (NPG) was carried out in a mole ratio of  2:1, 1% of sulphuric acid, reaction temperature of 145 °C and reaction time of 4.56 hours. Gas Chromatography equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) was used to determine the ester composition in Neopentylglycol Diester (NPGDE). The structure of NPGDE was confirmed by Fourier Transformation Infra-Red (FTIR), proton and carbon Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR) spectroscopy. Results showed that the percentage yield of NPGDE was 90% and NPGDE existed in liquid form at room temperature. NPGDE was successfully synthesised with 100% composition of diesters. The existence of the ester functional group is evidenced by FTIR at 1738 cm^-1, the chemical shift of ¹H NMR at 2.29-2.33 ppm and ¹³C NMR at 173.71 ppm. Physicochemical properties analysis showed that NPGDE has oxidative stability at 184 °C, pour point at 10 °C, flash point at 235 °C and 160-viscosity index which makes NPGDE plausible to be used in lubrication applications.

 

Keywords: esterification, neopentylglycol, oxidative stability, palm oil fatty acids

 

Abstrak

Minyak sawit merupakan salah satu sumber boleh diperbaharui yang berpotensi untuk digunakan dalam penghasilan biopelincir. Walau bagaimanapun, penggunaan minyak sawit secara terus sebagai stok asas biopelincir adalah terhad disebabkan oleh had prestasi seperti kestabilan oksidatif yang rendah. Ini disebabkan oleh kehadiran tapak aktif pengoksidaan β-hidrogen dalam struktur tulang belakang gliserol. Kelemahan oksidatif ini boleh diatasi dengan melakukan ubahsuai struktur molekul melalui proses pengubahsuaian kimia seperti pengesteran dengan alkohol polihidrik. Pengesteran asid lemak minyak sawit (POFAs) dengan neopentilglikol (NPG) telah dijalankan pada nisbah mol 2:1, 1% asid sulfurik, suhu tindak balas 145 °C dan masa tindak balas 4.56 jam. Kromatografi gas dengan pengesan nyala pengionan (GC-FID) digunakan untuk menentukan komposisi ester dalam Diester Neopentilglikol (NPGDE). Struktur NPGDE disahkan dengan menggunakan spektroskopi infra-merah transformasi Fourier (FTIR), resonans magnetik nuklear proton dan karbon (¹H-NMR dan ¹³C-NMR). Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa peratusan hasil NPGDE ialah 90% dan NPGDE wujud dalam bentuk cecair pada suhu bilik. NPGDE telah berjaya disintesis dengan 100% komposisi diester. Kehadiran kumpulan berfungsi ester dibuktikan melalui FTIR pada 1738 cm^-1, anjakan kimia ¹H NMR pada 2.29-2.33 ppm dan ¹³C NMR pada 173.71 ppm. Analisis sifat fizikokimia menunjukkan bahawa NPGDE mempunyai kestabilan oksidatif pada 184 °C, takat tuang pada 10 °C, takat kilat pada 235 °C dan indeks kelikatan 160 yang menjadikan NPGDE sesuai untuk digunakan dalam aplikasi pelinciran.

 

Kata kunci: pengesteran, neopentilglikol, kestabilan oksidatif, asid lemak minyak sawit

 

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