Producing new chemicals and materials from coconut: diversifying the Philippine Coconut Industry

Professorial Chair Lecture

Metro Manila commission Professorial Chair Lecture

Place

Institute of Chemistry UP Los Banos

Date

6-29-2005

Abstract

The Philippines is one of the top coconut producers and the leading exporter of coconut products. However, the country has remained mainly a supplier of coconut oil, copra and other by-products, which have low and fluctuating prices in the world market. In order to be competitive globally, the industry needs to diversify its products to include high value fine and industrial chemicals and new materials.

This paper discussed me s o pro using new chemical products from coconut oil, cellulose from nata de coco and coir dust, and possible uses and applications of these products. Monoglycerides were synthesized from the transesterification of coconut fatty acid methyl esters and glycerol, using a procedure that employed protecting groups to achieve regioselectivity. The monoglycerides were found to possess antimicrobial against activity 8. Cereus, S. aureus and S. cerevisiae at 5-10 ppm, and to be effective as lipid component of edible coatings used to maintain the postharvest quality of calamansi fruits stored for 10 days at 25°C. Sucrose esters (SEs) were prepared by reacting sucrose with the acid chlorides of various coconut fatty acids; potassium soaps were prepared by saponification of coconut oil; and monoalkyl phosphates were prepared by reacting coconut fatty alcohols with phosphorous pentaoxide. These surface-active compounds were evaluated as crop protection agents and were found to possess molluscicidal (P. caniculata) herbicidal (R. sativus) and aphicidal (R. maidis) activities. Cation and anion exchangers and chelating agents were prepared from nata-cellulose and coir dust and evaluated for their ability to remove heavy metals and nitrate ion from wastewater and drinking water. Carboxymethyl celluloses (CMCs) were prepared from nate-cellulose, with and without cross-linking, by refluxing with chloroacetic acid; coir dust was carboxymethylated using bromoacetic acid. The aminocelluloses EAC and TEAD were prepared from nata-cellulose via 6- chlorodeoxycellulose (6-CDC), through the nucleophilic displacement of the chloride ion by the appropriate amine. Crosslinked CMC was able to remove 99.8% Pb(II), 61.7% Cd(II) and 99.5% Cu(II); EAC was able to remove 86.9% Pb(II), 99.9% Cd(II); carboxymethyl coir dust was able to remove 88.0% Cd(II) and 77.8% Cu(II); TEAD was able to remove 46% NOI. A crosslinked CMC was also evaluated as a matrix for the controlled release of acetaminophen; the results showed that the material promoted rapid release instead.

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section

Call Number

Sp. Col.

Pages/Collation

31 leaves

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