Production of Monolaurin from Coconut Oil

• Main Author: ANDREA WINATA (NIM : 13014027) - NI PUTU OCTAVIANA UTARI (NIM : 13014056), NATASHA
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/29554
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align="justify">Coconut oil (CNO) is a major commodity available in Indonesia derivated from coconut which can be utilized to synthesize many chemicals and materials, such as methyl laurate, lauric acid, and monolaurin. Monolaurin is a highly added value products and broadly used for antimicrobial supplement, dietary supplement, active packaging agent of bakery products, emulsifier, surfactant for cosmetic and detergent industry. This research aims to produce monolaurin from methyl laurate and lauric acid. <br /> <br /> The experiment was started with two-step transesterification at 65oC using KOH as catalyst to produce Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME). Vacuum distillation was conducted at 20 mmHg with starting temperature 100oC to fractionate FAME, followed by analyzing FAME component using Gas Chromatography (GC). Methyl laurate, propionic acid, sulfuric acid catalyst, and water underwent hydrolysis reaction. This reaction was conducted at 95 oC for 4 hours. Propionic acid from the reaction was recirculated for the next hydrolysis reaction. To produce monolaurin, methyl laurate and lauric acid from hydrolysis reaction underwent glycerolysis reaction in the use of 7 : 1 molar ratio of glycerol to methyl laurate or glycerol to lauric acid at various temperature and time. Yield of &#945;-monolaurin was determined using AOCS Cd 11-57 titration method. <br /> <br /> The highest yield of monolaurin (measured as &#945;-monolaurin) of 9,698% during glycerolysis reaction using methyl laurate was attainable at temperature 230 oC, reaction period for 2 hours, and 0,37%-w/w of NaOH catalyst to methyl laurate. Meanwhile, it had been discovered that glycerolysis reaction using lauric acid at 150 oC, reaction period for 3 hours, and 5% molar ratio of AlCl3 catalyst to lauric acid reached the highest yield of &#945;-monolaurin, which was 24,039%. For the next research, it was suggested to use HPLC for determining the monolaurin yield.<p align="justify"> <br />