The study of transesterification of palm oil with excessive amount of ethanol / Ahmad Fakhruddin Ahmad Faudzi

Faculty of Chemical & Natural Resources Engineering

Project paper (Bachelor of Chemical Engineering) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang – 2014

Bibliography : p. 53-55

Since past decades, most of the world energy demand is fulfilled through petroleum sources, coal, natural gas, hydroelectricity, and nuclear power. As a consequence, natural resources are diminishing and thereby become a global concern and the cause of rising price. The competition to create an alternative fuel underway as well as to reduce the cost, get high profitability and less pollution to human and environment. To overcome these problems, biodiesel is introduced by the researches to substitute the fossil fuels. Biodiesel is the monoalkyl esters of fatty acids produced from renewable feedstock, such as vegetable oils, with glycerin being the primary by product. Biodiesel being studied because the of unique properties and renewable fuels. The production of biodiesel in industrial scale involved triglyceride substance that present in fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) that affect the biodiesel production quality. Thus, this research is to minimize the presence of triglyceride substances in fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) for the alternative of energy sources. In this study, the biodiesel produced in 250 mL three-neck round-bottom flask by using ethanol and palm cooking oil as medium component. Three parameters are studied like ratio of cooking oil-ethanol, rate of reaction, and catalyst activation activity. The best condition of parameters determine by the fastest completed transesterification reaction in the optimal yield produced. Three-neck round-bottom integrated with condenser to generate transesterification process in 250 mL Three-neck round-bottom containing medium chemical reaction. The flasks boiled up by rotamantle in one hour that involved the Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) as catalyst accelerator, 7404 hours for sample experimental without catalyst. The products are analyzed using Gas Chromatography Flame Ionized Detector (GC-FID) for triglyceride concentration performance detection. Then, the research continued with the manipulated ratio with 1:6, 1:12 and 1:24. As a result, the best condition in transesterification of biodiesel are in ratio 1:6, 1200 rpm, 65 oC and 100% volume percentage of fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) concentration