Abstract:
For the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil with an acid value of 1.86 mg
KOH/g, five heterogeneous catalysts—Ba(OH)2
, CaO, MgO, ZnO, and AlCl3—were employed. To
optimize the reaction parameters of each catalyst, the influence of crucial process variables, such
as catalyst loading, methanol-to-oil ratio, and reaction duration, was investigated. In addition, the
effect of acetone as a cosolvent toward the progress of biodiesel production and the reusability of the
heterogeneous catalysts were also examined, and the data were statistically evaluated with a 95%
confidence level. Ba(OH)2 performed exceptionally well, with a 92 wt.% biodiesel yield, followed by
CaO with an 84 wt.% yield. However, none of the results for MgO, ZnO, or AlCl3 were adequate.
In addition, regardless of the type of catalyst utilized, adding 20 vol.% acetone to the biodiesel
manufacturing process led to an increase in output. Furthermore, every heterogeneous catalyst was
reusable, but only Ba(OH)2 and CaO produced a significant yield until the third cycle. The other
catalysts did not produce yields of any significance.
