THE STUDY OF TRANSESTERIFICATIONS REAKTION OF Moringa oleifera Lamk. SEEDS OIL CATALIZED BY SULFURIC ACID AND POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE

The research of “The Study of Transesterifications Reaction of Moringa oleifera Lamk.
Seeds Oil Catalyzed by Sulfuric Acid and Potassium Hydroxide” has been done. The aims
of this research were to isolate the oil from Moringa oleifera. Lamk seeds, and transform the oil
to the methyl ester by transesterifications reaction using H2SO4 and KOH as catalysts, to
characterize the methyl ester which has been produced and also to analyze the chemical
compounds contained by GC-MS. Result of the research shown that Moringa oleifera seeds oil
could be isolated by using maceration method with chloroform as the solvent and Moringa
oleifera oil could be transformed to be methyl ester using H2SO4 and KOH as catalyst. The
highest conversion was 77,5% by using 0,15 gram of KOH on 2 ml of methanol. The physical
characterization showed that the Moringa oleifera seeds methyl ester has 1,03 cSt in kinematic
viscosity, density 0,8533 gr/cm3, gel point 130C, boiling point 3460C, T50 349 0C, T90 3510C,
cetane number 52,465 and water contained 4,456%. Chemical properties of the methyl ester,
Acid number 1,575% wt, and ester contained 98,025%..The result of GC-MS analysis gave the
information that the methyl ester of Moringa oleifera seeds contain 11 chemical compounds,
with methyl oleic as main compound (41,72% wt) and methyl aleidict as the second (29,99%
wt).