MICROWAVE-AIDED OPTIMIZATION OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM NEEM SEED OIL USING BIO-WASTE CATALYST SYNTHESIZED FROM COW HORN AND COCOA POD: TAGUCHI L16 APPROACH

ABSTRACT

This study intent to use Microwave to aid the optimization production of biodiesel using a heterogeneous catalyst capable of transesterification of Neem Seed Oil to Neem Oil Methyl Ether. The catalysts were prepared from plant and animal waste which are cocoa pod and cow horn respectively. The cocoa pod, being a carbonaceous material and acting as an active precursor was collected, washed, sun-dried and grinded before carbonated for an hour at 250°C to obtain optimum condition for pretreatment. It was sulphonated with 0.5M H₂SO4 in other to infuse the acidic properties. While the cow horn containing calcium, served as the alkaline precursor, was washed, sundried before it was calcined for six hours at 900°C to get CaO. These precursors were wet impregnated to give a single bi-functional catalyst used in carrying out this research. The method applied during this research for optimization was through Taguchi L16 method. The chemical composition and morphology of the catalyst is determined by various techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The study also covered the recovery of bi-functional catalyst and how they can be reused for the production of NSO biodiesel. The average Neem Seed Oil Biodiesel Yield obtained during the optimization experimental runs, using the Neem seed oil with the synthesized bi-functional catalyst was approximately 91.47% at the optimum conditions of methanol: oil 15:1, 2wt% catalyst, 800W, 2000rpm and 2mins reaction time. The catalyst successfully reduced the acid value of crude neem seed oil from 16.77mg KOH/g of oil to as low as 0.390mgKOH/g of oil for the NSO biodiesel.