Ethanolysis of Waste Cooking oils using KOH Catalyst

Abstract

The transesterification of waste cooking oils (WCO) with ethanol was investigated by means of potassium hydroxide (KOH) as catalyst. This work aimed to study the influences of catalyst concentration, temperature, ethanol to WCO molar ratio, reaction time, and stirring rate on the biodiesel conversion. Gas chromatography (GC) was used during the process of transesterification to determine the evolution of ethyl esters concentration with time. Biodiesel with maximum yield was obtained (92.5%) when 2 wt% KOH, temperature of 75°C, and ethanol/oil molar ratio of 11:1 were utilized.

Magnesium Oxide (MgO) as a Sustainable Catalyst for Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil: A Comparative Study with KOH

“…Future research directions include improving the synthesis and modification of MgO to enhance its catalytic properties as well as investigating its performance in biodiesel production from diverse feedstocks. This study extends our previous investigation on the ethanolysis of WCOs using KOH catalysts [6].…”

“…The WCO used in the biodiesel production process was collected from different restaurants located in Arar city, Saudi Arabia [6]. Transesterification involves the reaction of alcohol and esters (triglycerides) to produce ethyl/methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerol.…”

“…Furthermore, compared to heterogeneous catalysts, MgO demonstrates superior catalytic activity that can be attributed to its higher basicity and surface area. Various studies have also highlighted MgO's environmental benefits by lowering energy consumption and minimizing waste during biodiesel production [6]. However, challenges such as the need for catalyst activation and the optimization of reaction conditions to maximize MgO's effectiveness are areas that continue to be explored.…”