Performance of Bayah Natural Zeolite in Biolubricant Synthesis of PaIm Kernel Oil

Abstract

The abundance of local palm oil stocks in Indonesia makes a reason to process palm oil based oleochemical products into biolubricant products. Besides that, there is a demand to lind a bio-based lubricant that is more environmentally friendly. Chemical modification is one way to process palm kernel oi1 through an esteriflcation reaction using Bayah natural zeolite as a catalyst. The Bayah zeolite is modified by wet impregnated with nickel sa1t. In this study, the palm kernel oil was reacted with ethyleneglycol and refluxed at i50 "C for 3 h to produce a biolubricant product BP-EG-NiZB. The preliminary analysis of biolubricant was conducted by gas chromatography and Fourier Transform Infra Red. The GC-MS analysis performed formation compound of biolubricant such as hexadecanoid acid, methyl ester and octanoic acid, 2-butyl ester. Spectra infrared from FT-IR also support formation of the changes in particular functional groups of O-H alcohol at 3400 nm-1 and C-O ester at 1233 nm-I. Moreover. the oxidation number of biolubricant is 66.01 abs/0.1 mm.