Optimizing Operating Conditions for Maximum Biodiesel Production from Salmon Fish Oil

Abstract

Petroleum-based diesel is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon oxides, methane, and other greenhouse gases. The depletion of fossil fuel reserves, coupled with their increasing prices, has prompted the global oil industry to seek alternative sources. Biodiesel has emerged as a clean alternative fuel and a means to reduce pollutants from combustion equipment. Fish oil, obtained from fish processing waste, is a sustainable, abundant, and cost-effective raw material for biodiesel production. In this study, salmon fish waste oil was utilized as the raw material for biodiesel production. The oil underwent transesterification using methanol and sodium hydroxide as an alkaline catalyst to facilitate the conversion of oil to methyl ester. The study focused on four process parameters: reaction time, reaction temperature, and the amounts of methanol and catalyst. The results demonstrated that the highest mass yield of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was accomplished at reaction temperature of 100 °C, 20 wt.% methanol concentration with 0.75 wt. % NaOH concentration for 30 minutes. A comparison was made between the physicochemical properties of the produced biodiesel and ASTM biodiesel standards, indicating the high quality of the optimized methyl ester derived from salmon fish waste oil.