Morinda citrifoliia L. as a renewable raw material for surface active agent

¹ Mechanical Engeneering, Universitas Panca Marga, 67271 Probolinggo, Indonesia.
² Scientist, Independence Researcher, 67217 Probolinggo, Indonesia..

^* Corresponding author: trismawati@upm.ac.id

Abstract

Surface active agent (surfactant) is a substance or a blend of substances that lower the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids. It contains both hydrophobic groups (its tail) and hydrophilic groups (its head). Surfactants lower the surface tension of a liquid by spreading spontaneously over its surface. To understand its suitability for raw material of surfactant, the seed of Morinda citrifolia L is extracted for its fatty acid contents and evaluated for its spreading ability into other liquid. Its fatty acid contents are analyzed by FTIR and GCMS method and its spreading ability is evaluated by its diffusion characteristic using Helle Shaw Cell. From FTIR it is known that the oil seed of Morinda citrifolia has functional groups suitable for the hydrophobic part of surfactant. From GCMS it is known that the seed of Morinda citrifolia L contains huge amount of poly unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) of C19:2 suitable for the hydrophobic part of surfactant. From diffusion experiment using Hele Shaw Cell it is known that the spreading ability of its PUFA in oil phase is approaching its commercial synthetic surfactant has but it is not in water phase.