The Synthesis of Magnesium Soaps as Feed for Biohydrocarbon Production

In previous study, by heating magnesium basic soaps from palm stearine will decarboxylated and produced biohydrocarbon. The frequent method to produced metal soaps from triglyceride in laboratory scale is metathesis. This process is less favored because this method would produced large amounts of salt waste and hard to develop into bigger scale. This study investigated the process and characterization of magnesium soaps from coconut oil and magnesium hydroxide via direct reaction method at 185 °C for 3 and 6 hours. The resulting soaps were washed with water and methanol, then dried. This process yield more than 80%-w metal soaps, acid values lower than 6 mg KOH/g and pH 9.2. Based on Thermogravimetry Analysis (TGA) and SEM results, the initial decomposition temperature of these metal soaps were at 300 °C and have amorphous surface morphology. From decarboxylation test of magnesium basic soaps indicate great potency as feed for biohydrocarbon production.