Pengaruh Proses Bleaching dan Netralisasi terhadap Karakteristik Surfaktan Metil Ester Sulfonat dari Metil Ester CPO (Crude Palm Oil)

Abstract

Surfactant is surface active agent that has ability to reduce surface and inter-facial tension. Based on its ability, surfactant is used almost in all sectors of industries. It can be synthesized from petroleum, microorganism, and vegetable oil. Based on the hydrophilic part, it is divided into four groups: cationic, anionic, non-ionic, and amphoteric. Anionic surfactant is the most produced compared to other groups. Methyl Ester Sulfonates (MES) is the anionic surfactant made from vegetable oil that is now being developed. MES has the similar, or even better, than Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates that is now the most produced anionic surfactant synthesized from petroleum. MES production in this research use CPO (Crude Palm Oil) as raw material to give added value for CPO as main commodity in Indonesia. These research methods were divided into some steps: (1) analysis of physical-chemical characteristics of CPO (2) production and analysis of methyl ester of CPO (3) sulfonation process of methyl ester of CPO using SO3 with temperature of 1000C by STFR (Single Tube Falling Film Reactor) and (4) analysis of MES surfactant. The purpose of this research is to find the effect of bleaching and neutralizing processes to the characteristics of Methyl Ester Sulfonates produced from methyl ester CPO. This research used factorial completely randomized design with two replications. The treatment used is process step with no bleaching-neutralizing step, with neutralizing step, and with bleachingneutralizing step. MES produced has inter-facial tension value from 1.4 x 10-2 to 1.4 x 10-1 mN/m, surface tension from 35.33 to 47.17 dyne/cm, active matter content from 15.32 to 19.10 %, iodine value from 53.38 to 55.44 mg Iod/mg MES, CMC from 2.6-3.5% and pH 3.08-6.84. Based on statistic test, the process steps significantly affect inter-facial tension value, surface tension, active matter, and pH but not to iodine value. The best process step found in the sulfonating which continued with neutralizing process based on some parameters. Parameters used were lowest inter-facial tension and surface tension, highest active matters content, and most neutral pH. In this best process, physical-chemical characteristics obtained: inter-facial tension of 0.0201 mN/m, surface tension of 37.30 dyne/cm, iodine value of 55.02 mg I2/g MES, active matter content of 19.10 %, CMC of 2.5% and pH of 6.16.