MICROWAVE FACILITATED THE SYNTHESIS OF ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE AND PALMITATE USING HETEROGENEOUS CATALYST

Abstract

In the present research, a microwave-intensified esterification reaction of myristic acid and palmitic acid with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to produce an emollient ester using Amberlyst46 as a catalyst was studied. The effect of the ratio of molar fatty acid to alcohol, catalyst weight, reaction time, and microwave power on isopropyl myristate (IPM) and isopropyl palmitate (IPP) conversion and yield were investigated systematically. The results showed that catalyst weight and microwave power significantly affect the conversion and yield of IPM and IPP, respectively. The maximum conversion and yield of IPM were achieved under microwave irradiation power of 100% and catalyst weight of 15 wt.% while only 50% microwave power was required to achieve maximum conversion and yield of IPP using 18 wt.% of catalyst weight. These findings show that microwave-facilitated esterification reaction is a promising alternative method to produce emollient ester as the maximum conversion could achieve in a short reaction time.