Papers by Keyword: Transesterification

Abstract: Biodiesel represents a renewable alternative fuel that reduces dependence on petroleum and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, biodiesel was produced from castor oil via alkaline transesterification to investigate the influence of temperature on mass transfer between the immiscible oil and alcohol phases. A series of transesterification experiments were carried out using methanol and a homogeneous alkaline catalyst (1.12 wt% KOH). The temperature was varied at 35 °C, 50°C, and 65°C to evaluate its influence on the mass transfer rate between the oil and alcohol phases. The molar ratio of methanol to oil was maintained at 14.12:1, and each experiment was conducted for a reaction time of 60 minutes. Increasing temperature significantly enhanced interfacial diffusion, reduced viscosity, and increased miscibility between the two phases. The intersection of TG and FAME curves occurred earlier at higher temperatures, at 65 °C, triglyceride (TG) conversion reached 92% within 10 min and approximately 99% after 60 min, while slower conversions were observed at 35 °C and 50 °C. Product composition and FAME yield were evaluated by GC-MS examination at the Ministry of Industry and Minerals' Industrial Research and Development Authority. Overall, the study highlights that optimized temperature conditions minimize mass transfer limitations, improves phase interaction and conversion efficiency also shortens the total reaction time supporting the creation of an effective and sustainable method of producing biodiesel process from renewable castor oil feedstock.

Abstract: The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has intensified research into biodiesel production, which relies on chemical catalysts that have an environmental impact. This study investigates the alternative methods of biodiesel production by utilizing agricultural waste, specifically rice husk, coconut husk, and chicken manure as a catalyst for biodiesel production. Laboratory experiments were conducted to extract metal oxide from agricultural waste to be used as a catalyst in the transesterification process. The obtained ash was characterized, and it was revealed that rice husk ash contained 98% SiO₂, coconut husk ash had 72.62% of K₂O, and chicken manure ash had 46.56% CaO, with higher metal oxide compositions in each material. The transesterification reaction was conducted by varying alcohol to oil ratio from 3:1, 6:1, 9:1, and 12:1, temperature (40-80°C), catalyst concentration (1.5-4.5%wt), and reaction time (20-120min) to assess catalyst efficiency. Pure CaO was used as a control catalyst for comparison. Characterization of the produced biodiesel from all catalysts was conducted and compared to ASTM D6751 standards. The results for acid value, moisture content, density, viscosity, free fatty acid, flash point, pour point, and cloud point were analyzed and found to comply with ASTM D6751 standards. On quantity determination of produced biodiesel, the most effective catalyst was chicken manure ash with a yield of 80% and the least effective catalyst was rice husk ash with 68% yield. Using agricultural waste reduces up to 40% production cost.

Abstract: The amount of energy consumed is rising daily, which is swiftly depleting the availability of fossil fuels. Because fossil fuels release warming gases into the environment, they have several negative environmental consequences and contribute to global warming. To fulfill the growing demand for high-quality biodiesel, one practical solution is to employ metal: oxide nano-catalysts in transesterification of animal or vegetable oils. this review outlines into the prevalence of various metal oxide nanocatalysts, such as magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, nickel oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide, which have recently gained popularity as a means to accelerate the production of sustainable biodiesel. Converting typical metal oxide heterogeneous catalysts into nanoparticles enhances their surface configuration, porosity, crystallinity, chemical and thermal stability, and porosity. Metallic oxide nanocatalysts help make more biodiesel by lowering the reaction temperature and length and speeding up the transesterification reaction. Metal oxide nanoparticles assist in the production of biodiesel, which meets international standards and is of exceptional quality. As a result, the metal oxide nanocatalyst may be further optimized as a promising contender for the global energy business in the future.

Abstract: In this study, we conducted experiments to investigate the use of ultrasonic-assisted alkali-catalyzed transesterification for converting oil extracted from Roselle seed into biodiesel. Our goal was to evaluate how the production yield, and fluid properties of the biodiesel are affected by different operating conditions. Study scopes include the impact of mixing power, time, and volume of reactants. Our findings indicate that the ultrasonic-assisted process is consistently more effective than conventional mixing during the reaction stage. Our results show that the optimal power for ultrasonic production of biodiesel is 150 watts for 30 minutes, resulting in a production yield exceeding 95%. The viscosity and density of the product meet biodiesel standards. Additionally, when the ultrasonic-assisted process is used, glycerin can be removed more easily.

Abstract: Climate change makes the comparison of strategies to mitigate environmental impacts in the production of catalyzed biodiesel derived from animal fat waste a necessity. Transesterification of Bovine Kidney Fat (BKF) into biodiesel is feasible, but the utilized inputs can incur a substantial environmental cost, such as Carbon Footprint (CF). The utilization of Ethanol as a reagent for the transesterification of BKF presents a viable alternative that could influence the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Biodiesel and reduce its CF. This study compares the CF for the LCA of producing 1 kg of Biodiesel for a 1-6 Methanol-BKF and 1-9 Ethanol-BKF ratio, catalyzed by Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) at 0.35% at 60°C. The LCA was initially defined following ISO 14067:2018 standards, and subsequently, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Inventory was conducted for each stage of Biodiesel manufacturing. Ultimately, CF was calculated using CCalC2 software for the two examined conditions. Five processes were identified in the manufacturing of Biodiesel from BKF in the LCA stages. The CF for Biodiesel derived from BKF with Methanol is 4.36 kg CO2eq/FU, whereas the CF for Biodiesel derived from BKF with Ethanol + 5mol H2O is 0.246 kg CO2eq/FU. Enhanced environmental performance was evidenced using Ethanol + 5mol H2O for the LCA in BKF Biodiesel manufacturing, exhibiting a 1772.35% improvement over Methanol.

Abstract: The synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol has garnered significant research attention because of its wide application in the lithium-ion battery and pharmaceutical industries. This study summarizes the catalytic transformation of glycerol to glycerol carbonate using Na and K titanate nanotubes as catalysts. We report the synthesis of Na and K titanate nanotubes catalyst by a simple co-precipitation route and investigate their catalytic activity in the transesterification of glycerol. The physicochemical properties of the Na and K titanate nanotubes catalyst were successfully studied by CO2-TPD and XRD. The designed catalyst possesses high catalytic efficiency and stability in the transesterification reaction of glycerol. Based on its surface area and basicity, several experiments were performed, and it was observed that under optimized conditions (i.e., 5 wt.% catalyst loading, 5:1 molar ratio of DMC to glycerol, 90 °C, and 90 min), the highest conversion of glycerol was achieved, 92.6% glycerol carbonate. The high thermal stability and recyclability make it an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate.

Abstract: In recent years, biodiesel has emerged as a popular alternative to fossil fuels due to its superior properties. However, the presence of bioactive compounds, known as sterol glucosides (SGs), in crop-based biodiesel has posed a challenge for producers, as they act as crystal seeds and can cause gel formation or precipitation in cold temperatures. This can lead to issues with the quality of biodiesel during storage or use in vehicle engines. To address this issue, a study was conducted to explore the use of silica-based materials as an adsorbent to reduce SGs concentration in palm oil biodiesel. Natural resources silica material with a size of less than 100 µm was used in the process. The results showed that the use of silica gel led to the removal of 63.09 % of SGs in palm-based biodiesel due to its high surface area (556 m²/g) and porosity (0.79 cm³/g). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated that the silicate and hydroxyl groups on the adsorbent’s surface were responsible for SGs adsorption. Importantly, the quality of the biodiesel before and after the adsorption treatment met all the specifications of the EN 61214 standard. This research suggests that the use of silica-based materials could be a promising solution for reducing SGs concentration in crop-based biodiesel, and could potentially improve its overall quality.

Abstract: Although fossil fuel continues to play a dominant role in global energy system unfortunately their life span is threatened as the fossil reserves are running out. Except for the fact that they are readily available, tried and tested, unfortunately they bring about a negative environmental and climate impact. When the fossil fuels are burned, they produce both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which is the largest driver of global climate change and air pollution. This has caused a need to explore and transition to a cleaner and renewable energy resource like biofuel. Biofuel is a combination of fatty acid alkyl esters achieved by the esterification and transterification of triglycerides that can either be animal fats and vegetable oil with methanol and ethanol. Biodiesel provides several positive benefits by helping in decreasing the country’s dependence on the importation of crude oils, it also reduces the greenhouse gas emissions and advances the lubricating property. Biodiesel is produced and deployed globally with China being the country with the highest biofuel capacity in the world, with nearly 29.8 gigawatts as of 2021. It is followed by Brazil which is ranked second, with a biofuel capacity of 16.3 gigawatts. The selection of a feedstock in biofuel production has a noticeable impact as it determines if a biofuel will be formed or not from the transesterification process performed. The fatty acid / triglyceride content especially the Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA’s) are of interest. The higher the MUFA’s, the higher possibility of a successful transterification hence biofuel being the by-products/formation with less catalyst and alcohol used. Feedstocks with over 40% fatty acids, especially the MUFA’s are favorable for biodiesel formation. Almost 80% of Macadamia’s fatty acids (MFAs) are palmitoleic acids (C16:1; ~20%) and Monounsaturated, mostly oleic (C18:1; ~60%). This study reviews the preparation of biofuel utilizing Macadamia nut oil (MNO) as a feedstock for sustainable biodiesel Production.

Abstract: This research presents the production of biodiesel from nonedible, renewable ackee apple seed oil and its characterization. The study was carried out on trans-esterification of oil with methanol and sodium hydroxide as catalyst for the production of biodiesel. The harvested ackeed seed was sundried crushed manually and oven dried at a temperature of 105 for 24 hours 250g each of milled ackee seeds were respectively placed in the thimble of a Soxhlet extractor with the use of about 800ml of n-hexane., the flask was heated at 60 with the use of an electric mantle. As the solvent was heated in the boiler, the pure vapor rose through a by-pass and into the top part of the container where the sample to extract was contained. In the condenser, the vapors condensed and drip into the sample-containing thimble.The process parameters such as catalyst concentration, reaction time, and reaction temperature were optimized for the production of ackee seed oil biodiesel. The biodiesel yield of 18.30 % was noticed at optimal process parameters. The physicochemical characteristics of the oil such as pour point, cloud point, pH value, specific gravity, viscosity, acid value, saponification value, iodine value,were determined. Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) was also used to determine the elemental composition of the oil extracted. The fuel properties of biodiesel produced were found to be close to that of diesel fuel and also meet the specifications of ASTM standards.Keywords: Transesterification; Ackee seed; Biodiesel; Characterization; Optimal process, Fuel properties.

Abstract: The consumption of fuel oil in all countries in the world is always increasing. Indonesia is one of the countries that are still dependent on fuel oil, especially for transportation and industry. Biodiesel is known as an alternative to diesel fuel that is believed to be able to overcome the problems of world energy needs. One of the raw materials that have the potential to be biodiesel is Waste Cooking Oil (WCO). This research aims to study the Na₂O/Fly ash catalyst preparation process used for the transesterification reaction of WCO into biodiesel, study of purifying WCO as a raw material in biodiesel, analyze the effect of the methanol molar ratio to oil, catalyst loading and reaction time on the transesterification process in terms of the yield of the reaction, density, viscosity and an acid number of biodiesel product. The research method was begun preparation of Na₂O/Fly ash catalyst and purification of WCO with despicing and neutralization methods. Afterwards, the transesterification process was running by varying %wt of the catalyst, the molar ratio of methanol to oil, and reaction time. The percentage weight of the catalyst used is 4% and 6% to the WCO weight, the molar ratio of methanol to oil is 6:1 and 8:1, and the transesterification reaction time used is 60, 80, 100 and 120 minutes. The results showed that the Free Fatty Acids (FFA) of WCO raw material was 3.102%, but after the despicing and neutralization processes were carried out, the FFA of WCO decreased to 2.538% and 0.282%, respectively. The optimal condition for the biodiesel production process was obtained when the catalyst weight is 6% with a molar ratio of methanol to oil by 8:1 which runs in 120 minutes. In these conditions, the obtained yield of reaction results are 99,09%, density 882 kg/m³, viscosity 11.15 cSt and an acid number of 0.2244 mg KOH/g. The results of XRD analysis on the catalyst Na₂O/Fly ash is dominant by alumina (Al₂O₃), silica (SiO₂), ferrous oxide (Fe₂O₃), calcium oxide (CaO), and natrium oxide (Na₂O) compositions. Moreover, GCMS analysis on biodiesel showed that the methyl ester content formed was 98.13%. Based on parameters above, density and acid number has met the quality standards of SNI 7182: 2015.