Ultrasonic-Assisted Synthesis of Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES) from Coconut Oil via Transesterification and Sulfonation Using Eggshell-Derived CaO Catalyst
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24252/al-kimia.v14i1.62602Keywords:
CaO Catalyst, Coconut Oil, Green Surfactant, Methyl Ester Sulfonate, UltrasonicationAbstract
The extensive use of commercial detergents containing Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (ABS) and Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS) has led to environmental concerns due to their poor biodegradability. This study aims to develop an environmentally friendly surfactant, Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES), synthesized from coconut oil as a renewable feedstock using CaO catalyst derived from eggshell waste. The synthesis involved transesterification of coconut oil followed by sulfonation using NaHSO₃, conducted under both conventional and ultrasonic-assisted conditions. The CaO catalyst was prepared via calcination at 800°C and characterized using XRD and XRF to confirm its phase composition. The ultrasonic-assisted method significantly enhanced the sulfonation efficiency, producing the highest MES yield of 74.28% at 50°C with 2% CaO catalyst. The obtained MES exhibited a density of 0.854 g/mL, viscosity of 2.798 cSt, neutral pH, and surface tension reduction to 38.8 mN/m. FT-IR analysis confirmed the successful introduction of sulfonate groups into the methyl ester structure. These findings demonstrate that coconut oil-based MES synthesized using eggshell-derived CaO catalyst has strong potential as a sustainable and biodegradable surfactant for detergent formulations.
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