PALM METHYL ESTERS:

SUSTAINABLE AND
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
FEEDSTOCKS FOR OLEOCHEMICAL
AND BIODIESEL INDUSTRIES

Salmiah Ahmad, Wolfgang Rupilius, Hazimah
Abu Hassan and Zulina Abd Maurad
 CONTENTS
• Palm methyl ester and sources
• Palm methyl esters & biodiesel
• Development of oleochemicals
• Sustainability and related issues
• Diversification - biorefinery
• Conclusion
 PALM
METHYL ESTER
Palm Oil – rich in C16 and
C18 Fatty acids

Palm Kernel Oil – rich in C12 and

C14 Fatty acids
 PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ME

CPO AND CPKO

PFAD
TRANSESTERIFICATION REFINING
PKFAD
Methanol/catalyst
CRUDE ME REFINED, BLEACHED &
DEODORIZED PO OR PKO

DISTILLATION FRACTIONATION

CRUDE VITAMIN DISTILLED RBD POLEIN & RBD P STEARIN &

ME RBD PKO STEARIN RBD PKO OLEIN

FOOD USES TRANSESTERIFICATION

DISTILLATION
Methanol/catalyst
ME can be used as diesel CRUDE &
DISTILLED
substitute or biodiesel ME
 COMPOSITION IS IMPORTANT
EXPENSIVE
R PO PS Tallow CNO PKO
C6 0.2 0.3
C8 8.0 4.4
C10 7.0 3.7
C12 0.23 0.3 48.2 48.3
C14 1.09 1.3 2.5 18.0 15.6
C16 44.02 55.0 26.6 8.5 7.8
C16:1 0.12
C18 4.54 5.1 21.8 2.3 2.0
C18:1 39.15 29.5 42.8 5.7 15.1
C18:2 10.12 7.4 2.3 2.1 2.7
C18:3 0.37 ‐
OTHERS 0.38 0.7 4.0 0.2
Vitamins
 PALM BIODIESEL 
(METHYL ESTERS)

Crude / Distilled
Palm Oil Methyl
Esters) • Low pour point
biodiesel – pour point
0oC to -20oC
RBD Palm Oil • 2005: Scaling up to
Methyl Esters 30,000 TPA
• 2006 : Commercial
RBD Palm Olein
production
Methyl Esters
Vitamins
CAPACITY OF BIODIESEL PLANTS
IN MALAYSIA

Biodiesel Plants Capacity (TPA)

5 Biodiesel Plants in Operation 300,000
4 Biodiesel Plants in Production
272,000
Trial
Current capacity in Malaysia 572,000
Addition of 11 Biodiesel 965,000
 3500 3191
2968
3000
2665
2520
2500

EXPORTS OF ME (VOLUME IN  2000
1500
TONNES)
1000
300000 500
258903
238921 0
250000
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
200000
150000 129716 ME BIO-D

100000
54981 95013 VALUE OF ME EXPORTS 
50000 47986
(PRICE / TONNE)
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

ME BIO-D (PRODN) BIO-D (EXP)

 MAJOR DESTINATION FOR 
BIODIESEL
60000
(in tonnes)
50000

40000

30000

20000

10000

0 EU H-KONG JAPAN TAIWAN SING USA AUST P-RICO IND

2006 12598 21 960 0 0 34406 0 0 0
2007 24696 221 87 216 5665 51953 6065 6001 109
 BIODIESEL AND PRICE 
STABILIZATION MECHANISM
y Diesel consumption in Malaysia – 10
million tonnes
y If 5% -10% substitution – 0.5 -1mil.
tonne demand
y Reduce stock
y Increase price
y 70% of cost is feedstock cost Æ
Decrease profitability Æ subsidy
 BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE
OLEOCHEMICALS FROM MALAYSIA

H20 R-COOCH2 CH3OH/R3OH

catalyst R-COOCH catalyst
High T&P R-COOCH2

R-COOH CH2CHCH2 R-COOCH3

ACID OH OH OH ESTER
GLYCEROL
H2 catalyst

R-CH2OH
ALCOHOL
 MALAYSIAN OLEOCHEMICALS: CAPACITY, 
PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS 
(in‘000 tonnes)
3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
#Co: 15 14 16 17 16 17 17 17 17 18 18
Capacity Oil used Export
OLEOCHEMICALS: SUCCESS DUE 
TO
y Adequate and consistent supply of
feedstock
y Complement the food industry in
Malaysia
y Environmentally friendly
y Acceptable to all religions and
y Sustainable
AVERAGE OF MALAYSIAN
PALM OIL YIELD 
MALAYSIAN PRODUCTION OF PALM 
OIL & PALM KERNEL OIL (in tonnes)
% Utilization of Palm Products in Malaysian Oleochemical Industry

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 1990 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
PO 2 3.1 3.4 4.5 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.7 4.9 5.4 5
PKO 13.3 51.7 47.6 59.3 50 59.2 58.5 63.6 60.7 62.5 58
Total P 3.4 9 8.5 10.5 10 10.6 10.5 10.9 11.3 11.2 11.2
 SOME ADVANTAGES OF PLANT 
DERIVED PRODUCTS
y Plant derived products –
linear structure – easily 90
80
biodegradable 70
60

y Acceptable to all religions 50

40
30
y Good cost performance ratio 20
10
Good biodegradation characteristics
(less sensitive to water 0
4 9 12 16 20 24 28
hardness) LAS MES

90
90
80
80
70
60 70
50 60
40 50
30 40
20 30
10 20
0 10
C12 C14 C16 C18 LAS AS
0
C12 C14 C16 C18 LAS AS C12 C14 C16 C18 LAS AS

Performances very depending 54ppm 270ppm

on chain lengths More tolerance to water hardness

 SUSTAINABILITY
Small population:
Need to move to
Capital intensive
industry
Sustainable Development (SD) with Equal
Industry with Emphasis on the 3Ps
Better value
addition
Social equity and
People

Without extreme
Modifications SD
Plant derived Environmental
Economic growth
products are and Profitability
integrity and
Planet
More Environment
friendly
 LCA OF PALM PRODUCTS PRODUCTION
Land Preparation

Palm Seedling

Oil Palm (immature)

Palm based products

Oil Palm (mature) Biomass In Estates

Upstream
Agro-based Products
Midstream Palm Fruit Bunches Biomass
Renewable Energy

Crude Palm Oil Kernel Palm Kernel Cake Compost (as soil
Conditioner/fertiliser)
Mulch (Estates)
Refined Oil Palm Kernel Oil Animal Feed
Downstream

Export Processed Processed Processed

Processed Export
Food Non food Non food
(Biodiesel, Food
(Cooking
Oil etc.) Alpha SME etc.)
 PRICES OF OLEOCHEMICALS
(RM/tonne)
5000
4500
4000 ALC
3500 ME
3000 ACID
CPKO
2500 S.NOOD
GLY
2000
CPO
1500
1000
500
0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
 DIVERSIFY USES FOR BETTER 
PROFITABILITY

R&D TO :
yFind new uses for methyl ester
yFind uses for co-products
yUtilize waste
 METHYL ESTER: FEEDSTOCK FOR MES 
(ANIONIC SURFACTANTS)
METHYL ESTER

Low Hydrogenation

SATURATED FATTY METHYL ESTER

(IODINE VALUE < 0.5)

Sulfonation

Digestion

Bleaching

Neutralization

Drying

METHYL ESTER SULFONATES (MES)

 PERFORMANCES:
MES VS OTHERS
Similar
detergency
DETERGENCY(*) LABS ~ MES ~ FAS ~ FAES ~ AOS power

Similar
FOAMING(*) LABS ~ AOS ~ FAES ~ FAS ~ MES foaming
power

Acceptable
SOLUBILITY LABS > FAES > AOS > MES > FAS solution

SKIN Better skin

MES > AOS > FAES > LABS > FAS compatibility
COMPATIBILITY
Lower
SENSITIVITY TO sensitivity
FAS > FAES > LABS > AOS > MES to water
H2O-HARDNESS hardness

(*) Very similar, using optimum chain length selection

Source: Ballestra
 APPLICATION OF MES 

Powder detergent Gel dishwash

Liquid detergent Handwash
Liquid dishwash Paste dishwash

27
 METHYL ESTER: FEEDSTOCK FOR 
ESTERQUATS 

Conventional ESTERQUATS
quaternary ammonium surfactant of
compounds - an choice due to its
excellent softening excellent
performance. environmental
profile
Unfavourable
biodegradation 120

characteristics and 90

% Biodegradability
can not meet stringent 60

30

environmental 0

regulations 0 4 8 12
Days
16 20 24

commercial Esterquats Esterquats (pilot plant)

 METHYL ESTER: FEEDSTOCK FOR MEE 
(NONIONIC SURFACTANTS)
O
n((CH2 CH2) O
R
+
C O CH3
O Proprietary R C O (CH2-CH2-O) n CH
3
Methyl ester Ethylene Catalyst
oxide Methyl Ester Ethoxylates
where R = saturated or
Unsaturated alkyl group

Advantages:
Applications:
Faster dissolution in Emulsifiers,
water
dispersants,
Biodegradability
wetting agents and
Exhibit low aquatic solvents for adjuvant
toxicity concentrates,
Cheaper
pesticide compositions
 Solubilizer in Cosmetic
Products

Liquid Detergent
Dishwashing Liquid
MEE

Hard Surface Cleaner

Emulsifier in personal Pesticide Composition

care products
 IMPORTANT TO DIVERSIFY USES

yFind new uses for methyl ester

yFind uses for co-products

yUtilize waste
 SOURCE OF GLYCEROL

1999 2004

5% Fatty acids
9%
7% Fatty alcohols
41% 4%
Soaps
4% Fatty acids
Biodiesel
18% Fatty alcohols
25% Synthetic
Soaps
13% Others 49%
Biodiesel
13% Synthetic
12% Others

Source : Frost & Sullivan
POSSIBLE PRODUCTS 
FROM GLYCEROL
 MPOB RESEARCH
ON GLYCEROL

Vitamins
 CONCLUSIONS

• Biodiesel/oleochemicals
welcome additions to the OP
supply chain.
• Methyl ester - feedstock required
• Palm Methyl Ester - sustainable
& environmentally friendly:-
• renewable source,
• high productivity,
• adequate/predictable supply
• plant-derived - easily
biodegradable/acceptable to
all religion
• The development enhance
** To further enhance the sustainability
sustainability - reduce Malaysia’s it is further proposed the uses of
dependence on foreign labours methyl ester be diversified and value
and improve value adding.
• Preferably complementing
be added to the by-products. A
existing industries possible strategy is to develop
biorefinery complex
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION

www.mpob.gov.my

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