Depletion of fossil as fuel resources due to increasing energy demands has led to a challenging transition to renewable abundance bio-based feedstock.Levulinic acid is a versatile platform chemical that can be utilized to produce fuels,solvents,polymers,pharmaceutical and agrochemical products.It can be synthesized from natural resources such as lignosellulosic biomass,sugars and environmental waste.Matured coconut water is an agro waste that produced mainly from coconut milk industry which contains variety of sugars and minerals.This study was carried out on synthesizing levulinic acid from matured coconut water by focusing on the effect of catalytic acid to coconut water ratio,types of acid and reaction time.The matured coconut water was mixed with sulfuric acid at three different concentrations(0.5 M,0.75 M,1.0 M)in 9:1,8:2,and 7:3 ratios respectively.Mixtures were heated at 100°C for 30 minutes.The ratio decided was carried out into determine the best types of acid(sulfuric acid,hydrochloric acid,phosphoric acid)followed by the reaction time(15,30,45,60 minutes).Levulinic acid production increase as concentration of acid increase.However,low acid percentage in coconut water medium was appropriate enough to give high yield of product(0.135%).Both hydrochloric and sulfuric acid catalyzed more product at high concentration.
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