Transesterification of Kapok Seed Oil (<i>Ceiba pentandra</i>) Using Heterogeneous Catalyst Bimetallic Oxide of Zinc and Copper Supported by γ-Alumina

Abstract

Biodiesel was produced from Kapok seed (Ceiba pentandra) oil (KSO) using heterogeneous bimetallic oxide of copper and zinc supported by γ-alumina. The Alumina-supported copper oxide-zinc oxide (CuO-ZnO γ /- Al2O3) further notated by ACZ was synthesized using precipitation, impregnation and gel methods. It also was characterized using the X-ray diffraction (X-RD), and Brunauwer-Emmett Teller (BET) methods. Before being transesterified, KSO was subjected to pretreatment with the aim of minimizing gum and other impurities and reducing the concentration of free fatty acids. The activity test of ACZ catalyst was done by introducing it through the transesterification process of KSO with methanol. The transesterification process was carried out in a laboratory scale three neck flask. The effect of calcinating temperature (°C), and calcinating time of catalyst (h) on the yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) were studied, respectively. The results revealed that the kapok seed oil was worthy and potentially to transesterified into biodiesel using ACZ catalyst with highest FAME yield of 46.67%.