The New Technique for Biodiesel Production and Its Application Using Kapok Seed Oil

• Main Author: Rahmadhanita Ridwan, Vindy
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38623
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Transesterification method has been widely used in the process of making biodiesel. In the transesterification process the problem that often occur is the long reaction time because oil and alcohol do not dissolve with each other and also the separation and the difficulties of catalyst purification with homogeneous catalyst. To anticipate this, a new technique for biodiesel production needs to be developed by adding acetone co-solvent and using heterogeneous barium glyceroxide catalysts. The potential biodiesel raw material to be developed in Indonesia is kapok seed oil (Ceiba pentandra). However, biodiesel derived from kapok seeds apparently still contains a cyclopropenoid group. The cyclopropenoid group is reactive so that it makes the biodiesel thick (viscous) and creates a deposit which causes a blockage in the diesel engine / motor nozzle. This study aims to determine the best conditions and effectiveness of the catalyst in the new transesterification process technique and also determine the condition of the hydrogenation process which is suitable for converting cyclopropenoid groups in kapok seed oil. This study varied the amount of catalyst 1% and 2% in the transesterification process, as well as the hydrogenation time of 60, 75 and 90 minutes. The results showed that the best conditions for transesterification of kapok seed oil were using heterogeneous barium glyceroxide 2% from oil, and adding acetone co-solvent with a reaction time of 30 minutes at 30oC, where the yield was 96.70%. However, the reuse of barium glyceroxide catalyst showed a decrease in catalytic activity which was marked by a decrease in yield to 90.9%. The results also show that the hydrogenation process can convert cyclopropenoid groups contained in kapok oil and is well done at a temperature of 55oC with a time of 90 minutes.