The Effect of Reaction Temperature, Catalyst Concentration and Alcohol Ratio in the Production of Biodiesel from Raw and Purified Castor Oil

In this study, a homogeneous alkaline catalyst was used in the production of biodiesel from raw and refined castor oil feedstock. The effect of potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst between the two feedstocks, raw and refined castor oil was compared. The transesterification technique was utilized in this study, aiming to investigate the effect of different parameters, which include the reaction temperature, methanol-to-oil mole ratio, and catalyst concentration at a constant period of 90 minutes. The result revealed the performance of the KOH catalyst on raw castor oil yielded 98.49% FAME, which was higher than the refined castor oil which yielded 97.9% FAME. The optimal conditions obtained from refined castor oil were applied to raw castor oil because of the same properties. The fuel quality of castor oil and produced biodiesel were tested for physicochemical properties.

Biodiesel from Palm Vegetable Oil

Energy obtained from a variety of non-renewable sources is considered unsustainable. Various fossil fuels, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas, are among these sources. The combustion of fossil fuels resulted in the generation of greenhouse gases, which increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Global warming and ozone layer degradation are the negative consequences. In a country like India, where consumable oils are still imported, it is sense to look at the possibility of using such unpalatable oils in CI engines that aren’t often utilized as cooking oil. Palm oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the monocarp of the oil palm’s crop. The main goal is to provide a low-cost, high-performance alternative to diesel. The possibility of palm oil as a realistic, modest, and effective hotspot for the generation of biodiesel is investigated in this research. The article is focused on the comparison of palm oil and diesel in terms of characteristics.

Effect of Palm Oil Biodiesel Blends on Engine Emission and Performance Characteristics in an Internal Combustion Engine

Increasing global environmental issues and depleting fossil fuel reserves has necessitated the need for alternative and sustainable fuel. In this paper, the effects of biodiesel and its blend on engine emission and performance characteristics in an internal combustion engine were analyzed. Biodiesel derived from the transesterification of raw palm oil was blended with diesel fuel at different proportions designated as PO5 (5% Biodiesel and 95% Diesel), PO10 (10% Biodiesel and 90% Diesel), PO15 (15% Biodiesel and 85% Diesel), PO20 (20% Biodiesel and 80% Diesel), PO50 (50% Biodiesel and 50% Diesel), PO85 (85% Biodiesel and 15% Diesel), and PO100 (100% Biodiesel). A Lombardini 2-cylinder, four-stroke direct injection diesel engine with a compression ratio of 22.8 was developed using Ricardo Wave software in which diesel, palm oil biodiesel blends and pure biodiesel are used in the model, and the obtained results were analysed and presented. The simulation was done under varying engine speeds of 1200 rpm to 3200 rpm at full load condition. Biodiesel and its blends are more environment-friendly and non-toxic when compared to diesel fuel;it also improves the mechanical efficiency of the engines, and above all can also lead to a reduction in poverty among rural dwellers. The obtained results showed that brake specific fuel consumption and brake thermal efficiency increased with palm oil biodiesel blends as compared to diesel fuel which might be a result of biodiesel’s lower heating value, and the increase in thermal energy may be a result of the oxygenation of the biodiesel blend as compared to pure diesel. In terms of brake torque, palm oil biodiesel blends were lesser than diesel fuel. The CO, HC, and NOx emissions of palm oil biodiesel blends decreased significantly compared to that of pure diesel. From this study, palm oil biodiesel emits lesser emissions than diesel fuel and its performance characteristics are similar to diesel fuel. Therefore, palm oil biodiesel can be used without any modifications directly in a diesel engine. In addition, it can also be used as blends as an alternative and sustainable fuel, decreasing air pollution, and increasing environmental sustainability.

Valorization of Griffonia simplicifolia Seed Oil for Biodiesel Production: A Sustainable Alternative

Bio-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as mixtures of fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel), are promising alternatives for alleviating the adverse effects of fossil fuel consumption on climate change and preventing petroleum resource depletion. However, the selection of a viable feedstock for competitive biodiesel production remains challenging. Recent studies focusing on Griffonia simplicifolia seeds, the sole plant industrially exploited for 5-hydroxy- tryptophan (5-HTP) extraction, have shown that G. simplicifolia seed oil (GSO) can be solvent-extracted directly from ground seeds or the remaining seed cakes obtained after 5-HTP extraction with quantitative yields. This work documents the conversion of GSO into biodiesel through homogeneous base-catalyzed transesterification. The refractive index and density of the obtained methyl ester mixtures decreased with increasing oil-to-methanol molar ratio, reaction temperature, and time. Under specific conditions, 1.43 wt% FFA oil, 63.5C, 60 min, and 1:9 oil/MeOH molar ratio with 1.2 wt% NaOH or 1.3 wt% KOH as catalysts, optimal reaction conditions were reached. There were no significant differences in the potential for diminution of the refractive index and density between the NaOH and KOH catalysts. The predicted fuel properties based on the fatty acid composition determined by GC-MS showed that G. simplicifolia biodiesel exhibited a cetane index of 50.29, volumetric energy density of 34.97 MJ/L, cloud point of -1.03°C, kinematic viscosity of 4.07 mm2/s, and oxidative stability of 0.65 h. Apart from its unfavorable oxidative stability and slightly lower energy density compared to petrodiesel, all other calculated parameters met the current standards. The valorization concept proposed in this study should be integrated into the 5-HTP extraction process, preferably using the remaining dry seed cakes as raw materials to maximize revenue in a bioeconomic and sustainable approach.

Research on KOH/La-Ba-Al_2O_3 catalysts for biodiesel production via transesterification from microalgae oil

Alumina supports modified by lanthanum （La） and barium （Ba） were prepared by peptization. Catalysts with different KOH contents supported on modified alumina were prepared by impregnation method. Various techniques, including N2 adsorption-desorption （Brunauer-Emmet-Teller method, BET）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy （FT-IR）. Catalytic activity for microalgae oil conversion to methyl ester via transesterification was evaluated and analyzed by GC-MS and GC. BET results showed that the support possessed high specific surface area, suitable pore volume and pore size distribution. Activity results indicated that the catalyst with 25 wt% KOH showed the best activity for microalgae oil conversion. XRD and SEM results revealed that Al-O-K compound was the active phase for microalgae oil conversion. The agglomeration and changing of pore structure should be the main reasons for the catalyst deactivation when KOH content was higher than 30 wt%.

Effect of ethanol addition on flame characteristics of waste oil biodiesel

Biodiesel is a kind of clean and renewable energy. The effect of ethanol addition on the flame characteristics of waste oil biodiesel is studied by using OH-PLIF technique from the perspective of OH radical evolution. Ethanol addition leads to the appearance of diffusion flame reaction interface ahead of schedule and shortens the diffusion flame height. The experimental results show a linear correlation between the flame height and the fuel flow rate for a given fuel and oxidant. The same conclusion is drawn from the theoretical analysis of the approximate model. In addition. ethanol addition makes the average OH signal intensity of flame at different fuel flow rate tend to be consistent and the fuel flow rate enlarge where the flame field shows the strongest oxidation performance. Average OH signal intensity begins to weaken at larger fuel flow rate, which indicates that fuel flow rate of fuels blended with ethanol can change in larger range and does not significantly affect the uniformity of combustion.

Transesterified Chinese Spicehush (Lindera communis) seed oil as a biodiesel fuel

Studies were carried out on the transesterification of the Chinese Spicehush （Lindera communis） seed （LCS） oil with methanol for the production of biodiesel. The methyl esters of LCS oil were compared with soybean esters to determine biodiesel fuel performance and properties. The fatty acids content in the seed kernel oil （LKO） and coat oil （LCO） were quantified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry method （C-C-MS）. LKO contains 95.1% saturated acids （capric, lauric, myristic and palmitic） and 2.3% unsaturated acids （oleic）. LCO contains 24.6% saturated acids （palmitic and stearic） and 73.6% unsaturated acids （oleic, linoleic and palmitoleic）. The kinematic viscosity, cold filter plugging point, cloud point, flash point and cetane index were determined. The methyl esters of LKO had a higher kinematic viscosity and a lower cold filter plugging point value, so it has better performance in cold weather. The biodiesel of LCS oil has fuel properties within the limits prescribed by American （ASTM D 6751-02） standards, except for a slightly lower flash point of LKO biodiesel than that prescribed by these standards （130℃）. Thus, LKO and LCO biodiesel have great potential to be used on a large scale as fuel for diesel engines.

Current scenario and potential of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil in Pakistan: An overview

Biodiesel utilization has been rapidly growing worldwide as the prime alternative to petrodiesel due to a global rise in diesel fuel demand along with hazardous emissions during its thermochemical conversion.Although,several debatable issues including feedstock availability and price,fuel and food competition,changes in land use and greenhouse gas emission have been raised by using edible as well as inedible feedstocks for the production of biodiesel.However,non-crop feedstocks could be a promising alternative.In this article,waste cooking oils have been recommended as a suitable option for biodiesel production bearing in mind the current national situation.The important factors such as the quantity of waste cooking oil produced,crude oil and vegetable oil import expenses,high-speed diesel imports,waste management issues and environmental hazards are considered.Moreover,process simulation and operating cost evaluation of an acid catalyzed biodiesel production unit are also conducted.The simulation results show that the production cost of waste cooking oil-based biodiesel is about 0.66 USD·L-1.We believe that the present overview would open new pathways and ideas for the development of biofuels from waste to energy approach in Pakistan.

Influence of Jatropha Fruit Maturity on Seed Oil Yield, Composition and Heat of Combustion of Derived Biodiesel

Maturity of Jatropha fruits has influence on oil yield, chemical composition and physicochemical properties of derived biodiesel. Oil yield was determined using soxhlet extraction while biodiesel was prepared through the process of transesterification. Fatty acid profile was determined according to test method EN 14103 using Agilent Technologies GC System 7890. The calorific value of biodiesel was determined using Oxygen Bomb Calorimeter, IKA C200 according to test method ASTM D5865. Results showed that Yellow Jatropha fruit seeds have the highest oil yield and energy content, coupled with the best mix of fatty acid methyl esters.

Cottonseed Oil as Promising Biodiesel in Future

With recent increases in petroleum prices,there is renewed interest in vegetable oil and their derivatives as alternative fuels for diesel engines.There are more than 350 oil-bearing crops identified,

A Laboratory Study of the Effect of Temperature on Densities and Viscosities of Binary and Ternary Blends of Soybean Oil, Soy Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Oil

The depletion of world petroleum reserves and the increased environmental concerns have stimulated the search for alternative sources for petroleum based fuel. The possibility of using vegetable oils as fuel has been recognized, however, due to its high viscosities and low volatilities makes it inefficient for most combustion engines and thus the need to get them chemically altered or transesterified to obtain fatty alkyl esters of the oil (biodiesel). In this study, binary and ternary blends of biodiesel were produced and the effect of temperature on their viscosity and density was investigated. Biodiesel was produced from soybean oil by transesterification of the oil with methanol using potassium hydroxide as a catalyst at a temperature of 60℃ in a batch reactor. Binary and ternary blends of the soy-biodiesel were prepared with soy bean oil and petroleum diesel fuel, respectively. Viscosities and densities of the binary and ternary blends were measured at different temperatures of 20℃ to 90℃ as to determine the effect of temperature on viscosities and densities of the blends. The properties of the soy-biodiesel produced were compared with ASTM standard and found to be within the limits. The results show that the viscosities and densities of both the binary and ternary blends are temperature dependent. The viscosities of binary and ternary blends decreased nonlinearly with temperature, while their densities decreased linearly with temperature. The variation of temperature with viscosity and density of the blends was correlated and the polynomial equation offered the best correlation between temperature and viscosity, while linear equation gave the best correlation between temperature and density. In conclusion, the efficiency of binary and ternary blends of biodiesel in combustion engines is dependent on the viscosity and density of the blends which are invariably temperature dependent.

Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil Using Sulfuric Acid and Microwave Irradiation Processes

A comparative study of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil using sulfuric acid (Two-step) and microwave-assisted transesterification (One-step) was carried out. A two-step transesterification process was used to produce biodiesel (alkyl ester) from high free fatty acid (FFA) waste cooking oil. Microwave-assisted catalytic transesterification using BaO and KOH was evaluated for the efficacy of microwave irradiation in biodiesel production from waste cooking oil. On the basis of energy consumptions for waste cooking oil (WCO) transesterification by both conventional heating and microwave-heating methods evaluated in this study, it was estimated that the microwave-heating method consumes less than 10% of the energy to achieve the same yield as the conventional heating method for given experimental conditions. The thermal stability of waste cooking oil and biodiesel was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The analysis of different oil properties, fuel properties and process parametric evaluative studies of waste cooking oil are presented in detail. The fuel properties of biodiesel produced were compared with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for biodiesel and regular diesel.

Novel efficient procedure for biodiesel synthesis from waste oils with high acid value using 1-sulfobutyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrosulfate ionic liquid as the catalyst

Preparation of biodiesel from waste oils containing 72% of free fatty acids catalyzed by a novel Br?nsted acidic ionic liquid 1-sulfobutyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrosulfate([BHSO_3MIM][HSO_4]) was systematically investigated.The optimum molar ratio of methanol to waste oils,catalyst amount,reaction temperature and reaction time were 8/1,10%(based on the mass of waste oils),140°C and 6 h,respectively,under which the obtained yield of biodiesel reached 94.9%.Also,[BHSO_3MIM][HSO_4] as a catalyst still retained around 97% of its original catalytic activity after successive re-use of 5 batches(6 h per batch),showing the excellent operational stability.Moreover,the acidic IL [BHSO_3MIM][HSO_4] was able to ef ficiently catalyze conversions of waste oils with different amounts of FFAs(free fatty acids) into biodiesel,and showed tremendous application potential.Therefore,an ef ficient and environmentally friendly catalyst is provided for the synthesis of biodiesel from waste oils with high acid value.

Biodiesel Production from Unrefined Rice Bran Oil through Three-Stage Transesterification

Unrefined rice bran oil (UNRFRBO) with high free fatty acids (FFA) is used as a source for the production of unrefined rice bran oil methyl ester (UNRFRBOME). Three-stage transesterification process is successfully used. Initially, the FFA of UNRFRBO is reduced to 1% (0.8%) by using two stages esterification process with methanol in the presence of acid (H2SO4) as a catalyst. Finally, biodiesel has produced by alkaline (NaOH) catalyzed transesterification process which has designed according to the central composite design. 90% has obtained at the optimum values of CH3OH (20% v/v of oil), NaOH (1.0% w/v of oil), reaction time (60 minutes) and reaction temperature (55°C to 60°C).

Engine Performance and Exhaust Emissions of Peanut Oil Biodiesel

The engine performance and exhaust emissions of biodiesel produced from peanut oil must be evaluated to assess its potential as an alternative diesel fuel. In this study, two diesel engines rated at 14.2 kW (small) and 60 kW (large) were operated on pure peanut oil biodiesel (PME) and its blends with a reference diesel (REFDIESEL). Results showed that comparable power and torque were delivered by both the small and large engines when ran on pure PME than on REFDIESEL while brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) was found to be higher in pure PME. Higher exhaust concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2) and total hydrocarbons (THC) and lower carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were observed in the small engine when using pure PME. Lower CO2, CO and THC emissions were obtained when running the large engine with pure PME. Blends with low PME percentage showed insignificant changes in both engine performance and exhaust emissions as compared with the reference diesel. Comparison with soybean biodiesel indicates similar engine performance. Thus, blends of PME with diesel may be used as a supplemental fuel for steady-state non-road diesel engines to take advantage of the lubricity of biodiesel as well as contributing to the goal of lowering the dependence to petroleum diesel.

Investigation of performance and emission characteristics of waste cooking oil as biodiesel in a diesel engine

Biodiesel is one of the most popular prospective alternative fuels and can be obtained from a variety of sources. Waste frying oil is one such source along with the various raw vegetable oils. However, some specific technical treatments are required to improve certain fuel properties such as viscosity and calorific value of the biodiesel being obtained from waste cooking oil methyl ester （WCOME）. Various treatments are applied depending on the source and therefore the composition of the cooking oil. This research investigated the performance of WCOME as an alternative biofuel in a four-stroke direct injection diesel engine. An 8-mode test was undertaken with diesel fuel and five WCOME blends. The best compromise blend in terms of performance and emissions was identified. Results showed that energy utilization factors of the blends were similar within the range of the operational parameters （speed, load and WCOME content）. Increasing biodiesel content produced slightly more smoke and NOx for a great majority of test points, while the CO and THC emissions were lower.

Physicochemical Characterization of <i>Jatropha curcas</i>Linn Oil for Biodiesel Production in Nebbi and Mokono Districts in Uganda

Jatropha curcas Linn has been identified worldwide as one of the sources of biodiesel. Biodiesel has energy properties close to fossil diesel and can be a potential energy alternative. However, these properties may vary based on soils, plant genetics and agro-climatic conditions in a given geographical location. Several studies on biodiesel production under such conditions have been done elsewhere, but few have been done on J. curcas oil in Uganda. This study analysed the physicochemical properties of J. curcas L. oil for biodiesel production in Nebbi and Mukono districts using American Standards and Testing Methods (ASTM D6751) and European Standards (EN 14214). J. curcas seed kernel contained 51% w/w and 48% w/w of oil with high levels of Free Fatty Acids (1.52% and 1.93%) and acid values (35 and 36 mg KOH/g) for Nebbi and Mukono, respectively;the difference was significant (p ≤ 0.05). Generally, the quality and quantity of the oil from Nebbi were better than those of Mukono, based on the biodiesel standard values. Nevertheless, kinematic viscosity, acidity, potassium and phosphorus content values were found abnormally high (31.46 - 33.23 mm2/s, 35.23 - 36.66 mg KOH/g, 16.50 - 20.52 mg/100g and 16.13 - 26.02 mg/kg, respectively) for both regions as compared to the standard values (3.5 - 5.0 mm2/s, 2 mg KOH/g, <5 mg/100g and <10 mg/kg, respectively) of biodiesel for diesel engine. Such properties are very important for engine fuels and if not considered well, may affect engine performance negatively. Therefore adequate treatment of the oil by degumming, etherification and transesterification before use in a diesel engine could avert this difficulty.

Lipase Catalyzed Synthesis of Medium-chain Biodiesel from Cinnamonum camphora Seed Oil

The non-edible camphor tree seed oil was extracted and catalyzed by immobilized lipase for biodiesel production. The oil yield from camphor tree seeds reached 35.2% of seed weight by twice microwave-assisted extractions. Gas chromatography showed that free fatty acid content in camphor tree seed oil was 1.88%, and the main fatty acids were capric acid(53.4%) and lauric acid(38.7%). With immobilized lipase Candida sp. 99–125as catalyst, several important factors for reaction conditions were examined through orthogonal experiments.The optimum conditions were obtained: water content and enzyme loading were both 15% with a molar ratio of 1:3.5(oil/ethanol), and the process of alcoholysis was in nine steps at 40 °C for 24 h, with agitation at170 r·min-1. As a result, the medium-chain biodiesel yield was 93.5%. The immobilized lipase was stable when it was used repeatedly for 210 h.

Detailed investigation of optimized alkali catalyzed transesterification of Jatropha oil for biodiesel production

The non-edible oils are believed to be one of the major feedstock for the production of biodiesel in future.In the present study,we investigated the production of Jatropha oil methyl esters（JOMEs） via alkali-catalyzed transesterification route.The biophysical characteristics of Jatropha oil were found within the optimal range in accordance with ASTM standards as a substitute diesel fuel.The chemical composition and production yield of as-synthesized biodiesel were confirmed by various analytical techniques such as FT-IR,1H NMR,13 C NMR and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.A high percentage conversion,～96.09%,of fatty acids into esters was achieved under optimized transesterification conditions with 6 ：1 oil to methanol ratio and 0.9 wt% Na OH for 50 min at ～60°C.Moreover,twelve fatty acids methyl esters（FAME） were quantified in the GC/MS analysis and it was interesting to note that the mass fragmentation pattern of saturated,monounsaturated and diunsaturated FAME was comparable with the literature reported values.

Ultrasound-assisted Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil at Room Temperature

Waste cooking oil(WCO) is considered to be a promising alternative for vegetable oils that have been traditionally used for biodiesel production. In this study, WCO with a fairly high free fatty acid content was transesterified into biodiesel in a one-step procedureat room temperature(25℃) under ultrasound irradiation and in the presence of potassium hydroxide(KOH) as catalysts. Response surface methodology(RSM) was used to investigate the effects of the methanol/oil molar ratio, reaction time,and catalyst loading on the fatty acid methyl ester(FAME) yield and the biodiesel yield. The optimal reaction conditions for the production of WCO biodiesel were found to be a methanol/oil molar ratio of 8.6:1, a reaction time of 25 min, and a catalyst loading of 2.43 wt%. Under these optimal settings,the FAME and biodiesel yields were 96.4% and 92.7%, respectively. The properties of the resultant WCO biodiesel, including kinetic viscosity, acid number, water content, and flash point, were measured according to ASTM D6751 standards. The obtained results provide useful information for the large-scale production of WCO biodiesel.