Fraksinasi Metil Ester Olein Menggunakan Fractional Distillation System untuk Menghasilkan Metil Ester Palmitat (C16 )

Abstract

Palm olein biodiesel is consist of fatty acid methyl ester mixture. Separation of methyl ester fraction can be performed by fractionation technique. Fractional distillation system is used in this research to separate the dominant of methyl ester palmitic (C16). Fractional distillation system composed of several main components i.e boiling vessel, column with packing, condenser, vacuum unit, water cooling unit, heating unit and reciever vessel. This study was conducted using completely randomized factorial design. Fractionation process is done by using two experimental factors i.e temperature process (225 oC, 230 oC, 235oC) and processing time (10 and 12 hours). Separation process produces two fraction of biodiesel, distillate and residual biodiesel. The best condition to separate dominant of methyl ester palmitic faction obtained at the experimental unit temperature 235oC and processing time of 12 hours. The purity of C16 methyl ester fraction is 80,17% (w/v). Residual biodiesel can be obtained as dominant of methyl ester oleic (C18:1) is 60,80% (w/v) in experimental unit 235oC and 10 hours.Distillate biodiesel has several changes in physicochemical properties such as decreasing of density value, decreasing of iodine value, decreasing of saponification value, decreasing of acid number and levels of FFA compared to the initial biodiesel. Physicochemical changes in distillate caused by the composition of FAME biodiesel that is dominated by saturated methyl esters and lower molecular weight. Meanwhile, residual biodiesel is physicochemically changes by increasing density value, increasing of iodine value, increasing of saponification value, increasing of acid value and levels of FFA. This changing is caused by unsaturated methyl ester, higher molecular weight and also higher content of free fatty acids which are formed due to high temprature during the process