Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 20 No 5 (2016): 1042 - 1051

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/mjas-2016-2005-08

 

 

 

FREE FATTY ACIDS SEPARATION FROM MALAYSIAN HIGH FREE FATTY ACID CRUDE PALM OIL USING MOLECULAR DISTILLATION

 

(Pemisahan Asid Lemak Bebas daripada Minyak Sawit Mentah Berasid Lemak Bebas Tinggi Melalui Penyulingan Molekul)

 

Murad Awadh Bahadi^{1, 2}, Abd-Wali Japir², Nadia Salih², Jumat Salimon²*

 

¹Faculty of Education and Sciences,

Hadhramout University, Yemen

²School of Chemical Sciences and Food Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: jumat@ukm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 14 February 2016; Accepted: 23 May 2016

 

 

Abstract

Molecular distillation is industrially useful in the purification of highly oxidative oils and fats, and their derivatives. Free Fatty Acids (FFAs) were isolated from high free fatty acid crude palm oil (HFFA-CPO) using molecular distillation. The isolation conditions were set-up with feeder flow rate of 2.3 g/min, wipers speed of 350 rpm, evaporator temperature ranging from 150 °C to 265 °C and pressure at 10 torr respectively. The results showed that the yield of crude palm oil after separation (CPO_AS) was 88 % (wt/wt).  The physicochemical properties of CPO_AS showed a distinct difference in acid value, FFA content, iodine value and hydroxyl value compared to that of HFFA-CPO and it is more favourable for food product usage. The results showed that CPO_AS has lower acid value (reduced from 21.3 ± 0.1 to 2.1 ± 0.01 mg NaOH/g), increased iodine value from 50.6 ± 0.2 to 53.5 ± 0.2 mg KOH/g, reduced hydroxyl value from 43.4 ± 0.2 to 25.5 ± 0.1 mg KOH/g and lower FFA content from 9.4 ± 0.1 % to 0.9 ± 0.1 % in CPO_AS respectively. The work has proven that molecular distillation is an effective method for the separation of FFA from high free fatty acid crude palm oil.

 

Keywords:  free fatty acid, crude palm oil, molecular distillation

 

Abstrak

Penyulingan molekul adalah bermanfaat untuk industri bagi penulenan minyak dan lemak yang telah teroksida, serta bahan-bahan terbitannya. Asid lemak bebas (FFA) telah dipisahkan daripada minyak sawit mentah berasid lemak bebas tinggi (HFFA-CPO) menggunakan penyulingan molekul. Keadaan pemisahan telah ditetapkan masing-masing dengan kadar alir suapan pada 2.3 g/min, laju pengelap 350 rpm, suhu penyejat daripada 150 °C hingga 265 °C dan tekanan pada 10 torr. Hasil kajian menunjukkan peratusan hasil minyak sawit mentah selepas proses pemisahan (CPO_AS) adalah 88 % (wt/wt). Sifat fiziko-kimia CPO_AS menunjukan beberapa perbezaan dalam nilai asid, kandungan FFA, nilai iodin dan nilai hidroksil berbanding dengan HFFA-CPO. Hasil kajian membuktikan CPO_AS mempunyai nilai asid yang lebih rendah (menurun daripada 21.3 ± 0.1 kepada 2.1 ± 0.01 mg NaOH/g), nilai iodin meningkat daripada 50.6 ± 0.2 kepada 53.5 ± 0.2 mg KOH/g, nilai hidroksil menurun daripada 43.4 ± 0.2 kepada 25.5 ± 0.1 mg KOH/g dan kandungan FFA menurun daripada 9.4 ± 0.1 % bagi HFFA-CPO kepada 0.9 ± 0.1 % bagi CPO_AS. dan menjadikannya lebih sesuai untuk digunakan dalam kegunaan makanan. Kajian ini telah membuktikan bahawa penyulingan molekul adalah suatu kaedah efektif bagi pemisahan FFA daripada minyak sawit mentah berasid lemak tinggi.

 

Kata kunci:  asid lemak bebas, minyak sawit mentah, penyulingan molekul

 

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