COMPARATIVE STUDY ON JATROPHA OIL-BASED POLYOL WITH VEGETABLES-OIL POLYOL

Abstract

A polyol is an alcohol containing multiple hydroxyl groups. The main polyol usage is in Polyurethane (PU) production and based on the rapid growth of PU production because of its diversity usage in polymer industries such as adhesives, sealants, elastomers and coating, causes the rising of polyol demand. However, the existing vegetable oil-based polyol except Jatropha Oil is edible oil, which more valuable for food supply and thus reflected the higher cost for raw material. The objectives of the study are to functionalize Jatropha Oil via epoxidation and ring opened synthesis route, to produce Jatropha Oil-Based Polyol, to synthesis the Jatropha Oil-Based Polyol produced and to compare the characterization of Jatropha Oil-Based Polyol with Palm Oil-Based Polyol and Soybean Oil-Based Polyol. According to the result obtained, overall polyol yield after removing excess of water and alcohol is 60 %. The produced epoxidized jatropha oil had oxirane oxygen content of 3.02 – 4.53 %. The hydroxyl number obtained is within 172.8 – 176.5 mg of KOH/g. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra detected that alkene double bonds of jatropha oil appeared at 3012 cm-1 and epoxidation process has disappeared the double bond and epoxy group was formed at 824 cm-1. Meanwhile, formation of byproduct hydroxyl band at 3464 cm-1 is evident in the epoxidized jatropha oil. As conclusion jatropha oil-based polyol with the palm oil-based polyol and soybean oilbased polyol, the amount of functionalized double bond is higher in jatropha oil-based polyol compared to palm oil-based polyol due to relatively long chain of unsaturated fatty acid in jatropha oil. However, the amount of functionalized double bond in soybean oil-based polyol is higher compared to jatropha oil-based polyol due to used of solvent during epoxidation to stabilize the rings formation.