RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 13 No. 2, December 2001, p. 1-6

CHARACTERIZATION OF GLYCEROL RESIDUE FROM A PALM KERNEL OIL METHYL ESTER PLANT

YONG, K.C.* ; OOI Tian Lye** ; DZULKEPLY, K *; WAN YUNUS W.M.Z* ; HAZIMAH Abu Hassan**

ABSTRACT

Glycerol residue, a by-product of glycerol refining from a palm kernel oil methyl ester plant, was characterized using standard test methods. The selected parameters were the contents of glycerol, ash, moisture and matter organic non-glycerol (MONG) and pH. It was found to contain, on average, 20.2% glycerol, 64.3% ash, 3.0% moisture, 12.4% MONG at pH 12.8. Fatty acids (6.6%) were isolated and comprised mainly C8:0 (30.3%), C10:0 (9.4%) and C12:0 (40.8%).

KEYWORDS:


* Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Environmental
Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang,
Selangor, Malaysia.

** Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
P.O. Box 10620, 50720 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.