Biodiesel production from palm oil using homogeneous catalyst system

• Main Author: Nurfarhana, Suib
• Format: Undergraduate Final Project Report
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/6148/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Kelantan

Due to the depletion of petroleum reserves and environmental concern, biodiesel has emerged as one of the most potential energy to replace petroleum. It is a renewable, biodegradable and non-toxic fuel which can be easily produced through transesterification. Transesterification of palm oil with methanol has been studied in a homogenous catalyst system using different catalysts (CaCO₃, SrCO₃ and BaCO₃). The effects of concentration catalyst (0.25 %w/w-1.5 %w/w) and molar ratio of methanol to oil (3:1-21:1) on biodiesel yield and conversion of FFA to FAME was investigated. From this study, SrCO₃ gave better yields of FAME while CaCO₃ gave better conversion of FFA to FAME compared with other type of catalyst. The lowest yield of FAME was recorded at catalyst concentration of 0.25 %w/w, SrCO₃ (33.334 ± 20.068%) while the highest yield of FAME was at catalyst concentration of 1.25 %w/w, SrCO₃ (55.238 ± 10.817%). The lowest conversion of FFA to FAME for CaCO₃ was showed at catalyst concentration of 0.25 %w/w (5.754 ± 2.840%). The highest conversion for CaCO₃ was showed at catalyst concentration of 0.75 %w/w (18.019 ± 3.751%). For the molar ratio of methanol to oil, the minimum yield of FAME for SrCO₃ at 21:1 (20.952 ± 1.649%). The maximum yield of FAME was obtained at 3:1 molar ratio methanol to oil, SrCO₃ (67.619 ± 4.365%). The minimum conversion of FFA to FAME was recorded at 3:1 molar ratio methanol to oil, CaCO₃ (6.588 ± 8.521%). The maximum conversion of FFA to FAME for CaCO₃ was recorded at 15:1 molar ratio methanol to oil (68.872 ± 1.395%). This study revealed that biodiesel was successfully reduced 52.3 % opacity level of smoke emission by diesel engine that operated with petroleum diesel.