Effect of the addition of fatty acids on the chemo-enzymatic epoxidation of Ketapang seed (Terminalia catappa L.) oil

The chemo-enzymatic epoxidation of ketapang seed oil with the addition of fatty acids has been investigated. The epoxidation reaction is carried out by reacting ketapang seed oil, active oxygen carriers, namely fatty acids, and lipase enzyme (Lipozyme® TL IM) as a catalyst. The fatty acids used as active oxygen carriers are stearic, oleic, and linoleic acid. The fatty acid that produces the highest oxirane oxygen content (OOC) and relative conversion to oxirane (RCO) is oleic acid. The optimum conditions for the epoxidation reaction were obtained by adding 18% oleic acid and a reaction time of 4 hours. In this condition, the resulting OOC and RCO are 3.15% and 68.77% respectively. The FTIR spectrum of the product shows absorption at wave number 1239 cm^-1 which is a typical absorption from the C-O group and at 958 cm^-1 which indicates the presence of the C-C group from the epoxy. Based on the decrease in iodine number, conversion of oxirane number and the formation of C-O-C epoxy groups, it can be concluded that epoxy groups can he synthesized from Ketapang oil with the addition of oleic acid via the chemoenzymatic method.