Synthesis of biodiesel from palm oil with dimethyl carbonate and methanol as reagent variation using KOH and enzyme catalyst

Biodiesel is a methyl ester transesterification process from the result of triglyceride with a methyl reagent source using a catalyst. One of novel reagent used is Dimethyl Carbonate (DMC) which can eliminate the formation of glycerol as the byproduct through the reaction resulting a compound of glycerol dicarbonate. The advantage of this compound has the same physical properties and to be a mixture in one phase liquid product with methyl ester. Lipase is a hydrolase enzyme that can catalyze the formation of fatty acid molecule from the triglyceride containing oil in the reaction of transesterification. The purpose of this research is to produce biodiesel product by observing the formation of one phase mixture of biodiesel product from the palm oilusing methanol and DMC as the reagent, KOH and lipase catalyst andthe variation of molar ratio of the oil. To obtain the best biodiesel quality examined by four characteristics: methyl ester (FAME) content, density, viscosity, and cloud point. The result of this research is that biodiesel can be produced by both reagent, and for biodiesel by DMC there was only one-phase biodiesel formed without impurities shown visually. For catalyst variation, the best biodiesel produced by methanol is biodiesel with KOH catalyst and has 98.2% ester content, 0.858 g/ml density, and 4.58 cSt viscosity. The best biodiesel produced by dimethyl carbonate is biodiesel with KOH catalyst and has 89.0% ester content, 0.883 g/ml density, and 4.91 cSt viscosity.