RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 11 No. 1, June 1999, p. 53-61

MONO- AND DIBASIC ACIDS FROM LIQUID PHASE OXIDATION OF PALM OIL PRODUCTS

OOI T L*; MIZUKAMI F** and NIWA S*

ABSTRACT

The main objective of the research was to convert palm oil products into basic intermediates for use in the chemical industry. In this paper, oxidative cleavage of palm oil products into dibasic acids and low molecular weight monobasic acids by liquid phase oxidation of palm oil products in discussed. Identification of reaction products was done with gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectroscopic techniques and it was found that the major dibasic acids formed in the reaction were suberic and azelaic acids. The dibasic acids produced were concentrated by water washing followed by crystallization. The maximum purity of azelaic acid achieved was 78% .The dibasic acids are useful materials for the syntheses of lubricants, plasticizers, polyamides and polyesters.

KEYWORDS:


* Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia,
P.O. Box 10620, 50720 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

** National Institute of Materials and Chemical Research,
1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba-shi,
Ibaraki-ken 305, Japan.