Proses aging pasca sulfonasi metil ester stearin sawit dan pengaruhnya terhadap sifat fisikokimia surfaktan yang dihasilkan

Abstract

Methyl ester sulfonic acid (MESA) is an intermediete product of surfactant methyl ester sulfonates (MES) which can be made by sulfonation of fatty acid methyl ester stearin. Production of MESA using SO3 firstly carried out countinuosly in singletube falling film reactor (STFR) that rappid adduct formation between SO3 and ester group. The second stage was aging that slow sulfonation in α position by rearrangement mixed sulfonated compoud anhydride . An aging stage after methyl ester sulfonation in STFR required to complete the conversion of ME to sulfonated products (MESA). This research was aimed to obtain higher conversion of methyl ester to MESA, consist of the physicochemical properties of MESA and MES after aging stage. This research of aging stage studied the effect of temperature and aging time on physicochemical properties on MESA, the level of temperature were 80, 100 and 120°C and aging time were 30, 45 and 60 minutes. Analysis of variance (α=0,05) show that temperature of aging gave significant effect to the pH, acid value, active matter, viscosity, density, surface tension and colour (Klett) and the aging time gave significant effect to colour and surface tension. The aging at 80°C and 60 minutes on MESA gave the highest active matter 23,51%, pH 0,81, acid value 19,87 mg KOH/g, viscosity 100,13 cP, density 0,997 g/ml and surface tension 34,75 dyne/cm and colour 622 Klett.