Pemanfaatan Sludge Palm Oil Menjadi Metil Ester Asam Lemak Menggunakan Katalis Enzim Lipase pada Variasi Rasio Molar dan Berat Lipase

Abstract

Palm Oil sludge has potential as a raw material for producing biodiesel because it contains triglycerides and free fatty acids which can be converted into methyl esters. Research was carried out to utilize palm oil sludge into fatty acid methyl esters using a lipase enzyme catalyst and to determine the conversion of the resulting methyl esters based on the influence of the amount of catalyst and the molar ratio used with microwave radiation. The parameters studied were variations in the ratio mole of oil: methanol (1:3, 1:6, 1:9, 1:12, 1:15) and the weight of the lipase enzyme (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) (%b) under reaction conditions of 20% microwave power for 0.5 minutes. The fatty acid methyl ester content was determined using the alkalimetric titration method and confirmed based on gas chromatography and FT-IR spectrophotometer analysis. The highest conversion of methyl ester was obtained at 81.59% under reaction conditions with a molar ratio of 1:6, lipase weight of 20%, and microwave power of 20% for 0.5 minutes. The results of gas chromatography analysis showed that the methyl ester conversion was 85.30%. The formation of fatty acid methyl esters is characterized by the presence of –C=O stretching ester absorption at a wave number of 1744.39 cm-1 and is supported by -C-O-C- ester stretching vibrations at a wave number of 1300 – 1000 cm-1.