Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 4.0

Effect of Process Variables on the Transesterification Process of Palm Oil Sludge to Biodiesel

O. A. Aworanti, A. O. Ajani, S. E. Agarry, K. A. Babatunde, O. D. Akinwunmi

Biotechnology Journal International · pp. 1–14 · Published 15 Jul 2019

10.9734/bji/2019/v23i230076

Abstract

In this research work, the optimum process variables (catalyst, methanol to oil ratio and reaction time) for transesterification of palm oil sludge (POS) to biodiesel were studied. The transesterification process was carried by mixture of palm oil sludge, methanol and catalyst with the help of magnetic stirrer at 300 rpm and at temperature of 60ºC. The catalyst used for the process was potassium hydroxide (KOH). One-Factor-at-A-Time was used to select the possible optimum levels of process variable that gives high biodiesel yield. The study was evaluated by five levels  of methanol-to-oil ratio (1:1 – 12:1), catalyst (0.1- 2%) and reaction time (30 – 150 min).The optimum process variables for transesterification of palm oil sludge (POS) to achieved maximum biodiesel yield  were found to be methanol to oil molar ratio of 12:1, catalyst loading of 1.5wt% and reaction time of 30 min. At this optimum conditions the maximum biodiesel yield was 61.2%. The biodiesel produced from transesterification of palm oil sludge was characterized in order to determine the properties of the product. The density of POS is 857.0 kg/m3, kinematic viscosity of 5.38 mm2/s, flash point of 180°C, pour point of -5°C, and Acid value of 0.17 mgKOH/g. The biodiesel produced from transesterification of palm oil sludge meets the EN 14214 and ASTM 6751 standard. Thus, this study will be helpful to determine an efficient and economical procedure for biodiesel production from non-edible raw materials with high free fatty acid.

Biodiesel transesterification homogenous catalyst palm oil sludge methanol

Cited by 13

Titanium Dioxide‐Based Nanocatalysts in Biodiesel Production

Elijah Olawale Ajala, Mary Adejoke Ajala, Harvis Bamidele Saka · Nano‐ and Biocatalysts for Biodiesel Production · 2021

Sustainable biodiesel production from palm oil mill effluent: Assessing feasibility and environmental impacts

John Bentil, Sadillan Sadiq Abubakar, Yaw Prince Michael Obidieh · Total Environment Engineering · 2025

Hybrid valorization of biodiesel production using sustainable mixed alcohol solvent

Zulqarnain, Mohd Hizami Mohd Yusoff, Muhammad Hamza Nazir · Environmental Technology & Innovation · 2023

Ultrasound‐assisted synthesis of biodiesel in the presence of a novel catalyst recovered from waste effluent/water: A mini‐review

A. V. S. L. Sai Bharadwaj, Athithyan Ilangovan, K. Sri Bala Kameswari · Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy · 2024

Solvent extraction and performance analysis of residual palm oil for biodiesel production: Experimental and simulation study

Zulqarnain, Mohd Hizami Mohd Yusoff, Muhammad Ayoub · Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering · 2021

Potential of sludge palm oil as feedstock for biodiesel production by ultrasound-assisted transesterification

Muh. Irwan, Arief Adhiksana, Kusyanto · AIP Conference Proceedings · 2026

Assessing the Potential of Oils from Palm Kernel, Tiger Nut and Castor Seed for Biodiesel Production: A Comparative Analysis

Tunmise Adigun Adeyemi, Godwin Oladele Olutona, Cecilia Akintayo · Chemistry Africa · 2023

Comprehensive Review on Biodiesel Production from Palm Oil Mill Effluent

Zulqarnain, Mohd Hizami Mohd Yusoff, Muhammad Ayoub · ChemBioEng Reviews · 2021

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

0

Page views

0

PDF downloads

0

Outbound clicks

13

Citations

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

No views recorded yet.

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

No traffic recorded yet.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.