Microwave assisted palm oil biodiesel production using KOH/ZrO2-Bentonite as catalyst

Abstract

Biodiesel is an alternative energy source that is synthesized through transesterification of vegetable oil and animal fats using a catalyst and has similar properties to that of conventional diesel. The objective of this research was to produce biodiesel from palm oil with microwave radiation, using KOH/ZrO2−Bentonite as a heterogeneous catalyst. The catalyst activity examination in the transesterification of palm oil using microwave radiation at 700 W for 10 minutes and 25% KOH/ZrO2−Bentonite as the catalyst resulted in 70% biodiesel conversion with a molar ratio of oil to methanol of 1:12. Examination results demonstrated that biodiesel produced from palm oil using this method meets the standards of diesel fuel, in accordance to the Indonesian national biodiesel standard SNI 04-7182-2006.