This study investigates the microwave-assisted transesterification of palm oil methyl ester (PME) with trimethylolpropane (TMP) to produce trimethylolpropane ester (TMPE), a potential biodegradable biolubricant. The effects of reaction temperature, catalyst (sodium methoxide), time, molar ratio of TMP to PME, and vacuum pressure were evaluated. Microwave irradiation significantly accelerated the transesterification, achieving a 66.9 wt.% yield of TMP triester in 10 minutes at 130 °C and 10 mbar, compared to conventional heating. The energy requirement was also considerably reduced. The findings suggest microwave-assisted transesterification as a promising method for producing cost-effective biolubricants.

Nur Atiqah Mohamad Aziz, Robiah Yunus, Hamidah Abd Hamid, Alsultan Abdul Kareem Ghassan, Rozita Omar, Umer Rashid, Zulkifly Abbas