Optimization of biodiesel production from refined palm oil via base-catalyzed transesterification using Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) as co-solvent

Date

6-2015

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Rex B. Demafelis

Abstract

Transesrification involves reaction of triglycerides present in oil is reacted with excess alcohol and with the presence of catalyst to form alkyl ester (biodiesel) and glycerol However, there is a high operating cost entailed in this process due to the immiscibility of and alcohol. This study aims to resolve this problem through the addition of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) as co-solvent. The use of co-solvent lessens the reaction time since the oil and alcohol are miscible with the co-solvent. The optimum condition range, observed from the contour plot, and 3D surface, is 1 to 6-7 to 0.141-0.18 palm oil-to-sodium hydroxide molar ratio and 1 to 2.6-2.75 methanol-to-FAME volumetric ratio. The optimum conditions obtained from the software Design Expert 9.0 which yielded 98.391 pure diesel is 1:6.959:0.147 refined palm oil: methanol: NaOH molar ratio and 1:2.7 methanol: FAME volumetric ratio. All factors(oil: methanol molar ratio, oil; NaOH molar, and methanol: FAME volumetric ratio) are significant based from the analysis of variance performed. On the other hand, based on the verification run-time profile of the optimum condition, 97.39% pure biodiesel is obtained at shorter,40 minutes, and had 93.77% biodiesel yield.

Language

English

Location

UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2015 E62 /M35

Document Type

Thesis

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