Abstract
Biodiesel is one of the biomass materials or renewable energy, which is needed today to replace fuel from fossil energy, which can reduce global warming and has a high renewability cycle. Biodiesel is obtained from plants, so it is also known as biofuel. One type of biodiesel group is CME (Coconut Methyl Ester) which is biodiesel obtained from coconut oil as raw material. In this study, a synthesis of used coconut oil and methanol has been carried out with an organic catalyst based on coconut coir called the ASK catalyst. The results of transesterification have provided some important information, including: the yield are 15-19,5% after usage of the ASK catalyst consisting of amorphous phase and crystalline phase ClK0,8Na0,2, with the density and viscosity of products are 790-800 kg/m3 and 0,6-1 mm2/s. Yield data obtained are then used to build the kinetics equation. The equation is 𝑌 = 1 − e^(-k'tn), with the value of n = 1 and k' for temperatures of 50oC and 60oC were 0,20 and 0,21, respectively, and a minimum activation energy of Q = 1,1 kJ/mol, which can determine reaction time needed at a specified temperature to achieve a certain yield value.