Parametric study on thermal decarboxylation of coconut oil using magnesium oxide as catalyst

Date

7-2015

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Jewel A. Capunitan

Restrictions

Restricted: Not available to the general public. Access is available only after consultation with author/thesis adviser and only to those bound by the confidentiality agreement.

Abstract

The thermal decarboxylation of coconut oil using magnesium oxide as catalyst and kerosene as solvent was investigated in this study via a 2ᵏ factorial experiment. The sample containing the oil dissolved in the solvent, together with the catalyst, was heated for three hours to determine the effect of three parameters-temperature (150ºC and 200ºC) solvent concentration (76.92wt% and 90.91wt%) and catalyst loading (0.00wt% and 23.08wt%). The percentage of triglycerides (TAGs) in the oil that reached was quantified by determining the change in the amount of triglycerides before and after the reaction. temperature, catalyst solvent, temperature-solvent interaction and catalyst-solvent interaction significantly affected the percentage of reached triglycerides. Highest percent of triglyceride reacted was observed to be 70.64%±5.38% at 200ºC, 90.91 wt% solvent and 23.08wt% catalyst. Under the range of parameters considered in the study and at 350ºC calcination temperature for magnesium oxide, the highest percentage of TAGs that reached was attained by setting all the factors at their high values. Results showed the potential of using coconut oil, an abundant and readily available biomass source, as a feedstock for thermal decarboxylation, using magnesium oxide as catalyst.

Language

English

Location

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

Call Number

LG 993.5 2015 E62 /C66

Document Type

Thesis

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