OPTIMIZATION OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM LOOFAH OIL USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

Authors

  • O. O. Oniya Department of Agricultural Engineering, P.M.B. 4000, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. Author
  • A. O. Adebayo Department of Agricultural Engineering, P.M.B. 4000, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. Author
  • O. S. Olatoye Department of Agricultural Engineering, P.M.B. 4000, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. Author
  • O. Ogunkunle Department of Agricultural Engineering, P.M.B. 4000, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. Author

Keywords:

Biodiesel, Trans-esterification, Response Surface Methodology, Optimization, Inedible oil

Abstract

Biodiesel derived from the trans-esterification of inedible oils with simple alcohol in the presence of catalyst is now attracting great attention as a renewable fuel for diesel engines. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on D-Optimal was used to optimize biodiesel production process from loofah oil. Oil was extracted from loofah seeds using mechanical extraction method. Biodiesel (ethyl ester) was produced from raw loofah oil using potassium hydroxide (KOH) and ethanol as alcohol. The effect of variables including reaction time, reaction temperature, amount of ethanol and amount of catalyst on the biodiesel yield was examined and optimized by RSM. The optimum reaction time, temperature, amount of alcohol and amount of catalyst were found to be 75 minutes, 70oC, 20ml, and 0.81g respectively, resulting in optimum loofah biodiesel yield of 88%. The RSM indicates an optimum ridge in yield by increasing amount of catalyst but with decreasing amount of alcohol.

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Published

2025-05-12

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2 (2017): JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (JAET)

Section

Articles