Effects of Microwave and Additional Co–Solvents on Two–Stage Waste Cooking Oil to Biodiesel Conversion

Abstract:

This paper introduced a better solution to accelerating the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil by using suitable acidic and alkaline catalysts in a two-stage catalytic reaction. Next, a co-solvent named tetrahydrofuran (THF), which significantly increased mixing level of the reactants in the mixture of vegetable oil and methanol, was added to form a single phase system. The whole system was then put into a microwave oven to support heat for the transesterification of biodiesel to shorten the reaction time. Reaction conditions of the first stage were methanol to oil molar ratio of 9:1, catalyst amount 1wt%, reaction temperature 60 oC and reaction time 7.5 minutes. In the second stage, for the transesterification, reaction conditions were methanol to oil molar ratio 12:1, catalyst loadings 1 wt%, reaction temperature 60 oC and reaction time 1.5 minutes. Finally, the conversion rate of biodiesel after the nine-minute reaction time was 97.38% which was higher than the EU EN14214 standard value of 96.5%.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 209-211)
• Pages: 1136-1141
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.209-211.1136
• Online since: October 2012
• Authors: Ming Chien Hsiao, Yung Hung Chang, Li Wen Chang
• Keywords: Bio-Diesel, Co–Solvent, Microwave Assisted Process, Two-Stage Conversion, Waste Cooking Oil (WCO)

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