OPTIMIZATION OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM THE BLEND OF PALM KERNEL OIL AND CATFISH OIL USING PIG BONES AND PUMPKIN STALKS AS CATALYST

ABSTRACT

This study sought to optimize biodiesel production from the blend of palm kernel oil and catfish oil using pig bones and pumpkin stalks as catalyst. A ratio of 50:50 by volume was used to obtain the blend of palm kernel oil and catfish oil used throughout this study. The catalyst used which is bio-based bifunctional catalyst was synthesized from Pig bones and pumpkin leaf stalk, by carbonizing and sulphuration of the pumpkin leaf stalk to form an acid precursor, while the pig bones were calcined and treated with KOH to form a base precursor before both precursors were used to prepare the bi-functional catalyst by wet impregnation method. SEM, TGA/DTGA, EDXRF, XRD, FTIR, and BET/BJH methods were used for the characterization of the synthesized bio-based bi-functional catalyst before and after it was used for the biodiesel production. The simultaneous esterification and transesterification of the blend of PKO/CFO were designed and optimised using the Taguchi L9 Method. The catalyst's economic potential for commercial biodiesel generation was investigated by carrying out a reusability test which focused on its impact on the Biodiesel yield and Acid Value. The test was carried out using the optimum conditions from optimisation on a series of test runs, which amounted to 5 runs, by recovering and reusing the catalyst after each run without any treatment.