Biodiesel production and parameter optimization: An approach to utilize residual ash from sugarcane leaf, a novel heterogeneous catalyst, from Calophyllum inophyllum oil

Abstract

The rapid depletion of natural oil resources and growing environmental problems has led to the hunt for a cost-efficient method for production of fuel-grade Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). The supremacy of heterogeneous catalysis urges the development of bio-based catalyst as an alternative to the previously used catalyst. The present study elevates the practicability of utilizing residual ash from sugarcane leaves as a catalyst for the production of Calophyllum inophyllum methyl esters. XRD, SEM, FT-IR were used to characterize the residual ash. Central Composite design based response surface methodology was employed to study the relationship between process parameters on FAME yield. In optimum conditions of methanol to oil ratio of 19:1, 5 wt% of catalyst and temperature of 64 °C, there obtained a maximum FAME yield of 97%.85% yield up to 6 cycles has been shown by reusability data. Performance and emission exhaust analysis of produced FAME shows that blended version of B10 and B80 has a better efficiency of using biodiesel as a backup energy source.