APPLICATION OF ECTOINE AS COSOLVENT IN ESTERIFICATION REACTION FOR BIODIESEL SYNTHESIS

• Main Author: Marwiyah, Alfina
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/75592
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel produced from renewable natural materials such as vegetable and animal oils, specially formulated for diesel engine fuel with the advantages of high lubricating power, environmentally friendly, safe and non-toxic. Biodiesel synthesis involves an esterification process with the help of a lipase enzyme catalyst. Lipase (triacylglycerol hydrolase) catalyzes the reaction of ester group formation to produce monoalkyl esters of fatty acids. The synthesis process requires a lipase that has stability against extreme conditions and against organic solvents, especially alcohols. Ectoine is one of the osmolytes found in several types of halophilic bacteria that can protect proteins from heating, freezing, and chemical contact. This research will study the esterification activity with the addition of ectoine as a cosolvent in biodiesel synthesis. Ectoine production from halophilic bacteria Halomonas elongata BK-AG25 was optimized by osmotic shock technique grown on MM63 media. The bacteria were then inoculated on the same media with high salt concentration (osmotic upshock) to produce ectoine and then transferred into distilled water with low salt concentration (osmotic downshock) to release the ectoine produced. The ectoine obtained was then analyzed for its structure using FTIR and HPLC. The success of ectoine as lipase coprocessor was tested using titration method to determine the esterification activity between oleic acid and ethanol in n-hexane solvent by varying the concentration of ectoine used. Ectoine was able to increase the esterification activity in the ratio of 2: 1 (M) to ethanol. Ectoine is also known to be able to increase the optimum temperature of esterification from 30 ? to 50 ?, as well as increase the optimum pH from 7 to pH 8. Based on the results of the kinetics study, it was found that esterification with the addition of ectoine was more efficient as indicated by a greater kcat/KM value of 54.5 than without the addition of ectoine which was 40.9.