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ABSTRACT
Process variables including molar ratio, temperature, catalyst type and amount, reaction time, etc., typically have an impact on transesterification reactions. The molar ratio of alcohol/oil and the concentration of the catalyst are two important factors that affect the amount of biodiesel that can be produced from Jatropha curcas seed oil. The effect of molar ratio variation on the production of biodiesel from the transesterification of Jatropha curcas seed oil with methanol using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) catalyst has been determined. The best yield of biodiesel was obtained with a molar ratio of 6:1 and a NaOH content of 1% w/w. An increase in NaOH content and a higher methanol/oil molar ratio results in a decrease in biodiesel yield. This is because, rather than accelerating the synthesis of biodiesel, a greater methanol/oil ratio causes the excess methanol to react with the NaOH to generate soap.
