Improving characteristic of bio-oil by esterification method

Abstract

Bio-oil is one of the promising renewable energy that raw materials are sourced from agricultural waste and industrial waste but the quality of bio-oil is still not good for fuel use. One of the methods to upgrading bio-oil is using esterification. Esterfication method reduces viscosity, water content, and improving heating value. The purpose of this research was to improving bio-oil quality by type and concentration acid catalyst. Catalyst used was H2SO4 and HCl. The result showed 1% catalyst concentration of bio-oil which the best in improving the characteristic of bio-oil. The bio-oil after esterification shows viscosity kinematic 3.06 and 3.03 cSt @40°C, density 1.20 and 1.23 kg/dm3 @20°C, calorific value 20.17 and 18.31 MJ/kg, water content 0.83 and 0.84 wt%, ash content 0.0003 and 0.0001 wt%, pH value 3.28 and 2.99, acid number 0.27 and 1.04 mg-KOH/g. H2SO4 catalyst found more suitable with 1% catalyst concentration because has better impact to bio-oil characteristic. The process conducted that organic acids can be converted to esters over H2SO4 and HCl catalyst indicating its high activity