Effects of Transesterification Process Parameters on Production of Biodiesel from Oil Extracted From Cat Fish Using Raw, Acid, Alkaline and Thermally Modified Potassium Hydroxide as Catalyst

Abstract

This research work was aimed at studying the effects of transesterification process parameters on the production of biodiesel from oil extracted from catfish using raw, acid, alkaline, and thermally modified potassium hydroxide from clay as catalysts. The catfish oil was extracted using an oven at a temperature of 35 °C. The extracted catfish oil was converted into biodiesel using the transesterification method at a constant temperature of 60 °C for 60 min. The process parameters for the production of biodiesel from fish oil using raw, acidic, alkaline, and thermally modified potassium hydroxide from clay as catalysts were analyzed. The process parameters: methanol to oil molal ratio (mol/mol), catalyst concentration (weight%), reaction time (hours), reaction temperature (°C) and agitation speed (rpm) were the independent variables used in determining the biodiesel yield (vol/vol), which was the dependent variable. The experimental or actual maximum optimal biodiesel yield for biodiesel production from the process parameters had different yields using the fish oil with raw, acid, alkaline, and thermal KOH as catalysts. Results obtained showed the highest biodiesel yield was obtained at a reaction time of 3 hours, a reaction temperature of 70 °C, a methanol/sample molal ratio of 12:1, a catalyst concentration of 4 wt%, and an agitation speed of 400 rpm, respectively. It was also observed that the agitation speed and the thermally modified KOH catalyst had a significant effect on the biodiesel yield.