Optimization of transesterification production of biodiesel from Pithecellobium dulce seed oil

Abstract

This study is aimed to produce biodiesel from Pithecellobium dulce seed oil with methanol (CH3OH) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) using transesterification process. The impact of operating variables including time of reaction, oil to methanol molar ratio, and concentration of catalyst on yield of biodiesel is also studied. The experiments were designed based on Box–Behnken approach considering three factors with three levels. Regression analysis was employed to model the experimental results and a quadratic model was established to study the effects of selected variables on the biodiesel yield. Response surface technique was used to determine the optimal parameters for the transesterification process (RSM). An optimum yield of 96.6% at 6:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 0.5 weight percentage of catalyst concentration and 3 h of time for reaction was obtained from the developed RSM model and the optimized conditions were validated with experimental results. Finally, the quality of the produced biodiesel was assessed by determining its properties and met with ASTM D6751 standards.

Keywords

• Pithecellobium dulce
• Transesterification
• Box–Behnken design
• Response surface methodology
• ASTM standards