Penggunaan solar sebagai bahan bakar mesin diesel telah menimbulkan banyak masalah terhadap kesehatan manusia dan lingkungan karena emisi pembakarannya menghasilkan senyawa-senyawa seperti NOx, SOx, dan lain-lain sehingga dikembangkan penelitian untuk mendapatkan bahan bakar yang ramah lingkungan. Metode elektrokimia sederhana digunakan untuk mensintesis Biodiesel Fuel dari minyak kedelai. Metode elektrokimia yang digunakan difasilitasi dengan elektroda kerja boron-doped diamond (BDD) dengan dua sel elektrokimia dipisahkan oleh membran pemisah polimer NafionÒ. Temperatur reaksi diatur pada suhu ruang (25C). Reaksi yang dilakukan adalah transesterifikasi trigliserida dengan metanol menghasilkan fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yang popular sebagai biodiesel. Karakterisasi awal minyak kedelai menunjukkan bahwa kandungan asam lemak bebas, air dan bahan menguap dalam minyak 0,059% dengan angka asam sebesar 0,112 mengindikasikan bahwa kualitas minyak kedelai tergolong baik. Waktu reaksi elektrokimia berlangsung selama 0,5 jam dengan masing-masing garam elektrolit Na2SO4 1 M dan TBAP (tetra butil ammonium perklorat) 0,13 M. Konsentrasi Na2SO4 yang digunakan sebesar 1,5 M untuk 0,5 jam reaksi elektrokimia. Penggunaan TBAP 0,13 M sebagai garam elektrolit menghasilkan persen komposisi FAME tertinggi, yaitu 0,0569%.

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Diesel usage as fuel for diesel engines has caused many problems for the human health and environment due to exhaust gases such as NOx, SOx, etc, emitted from combustion. Therefore, studies are developed to obtain an environmental friendly fuel. In this work, a simple electrochemical method to synthesize biodiesel fuel from soybean oil was developed. The electrochemical method was applied using a boron-doped diamond film as the working electrode with two-separated compartments of electrochemical cells. NafionÒ was used as the separating membrane. The reaction temperature was set at room temperature (25oC). Transesterification reaction between triglyceride and methanol through an electrochemical method (Galvanostat technique) was expected to produce fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), widely known as biodiesel.

Initial characterization of soybean oil showed that the content of free fatty acids, water, and volatile matters in the oil were 0.059% with the acid number of 0.112, indicated that the quality of soybean oil was respectable. The electrolysis time of 0.5 h was applied for both electrolytes Na2SO4 1 M and TBAP (tetrabutylammonium perchlorate) 0.13 M while the maximum concentration of Na2SO4 is 1,5 M. The use of TBAP 0,13 M as an organic salt electrolyte produced the highest FAME percent composition of 0,0569%.