Production and characterization of biodiesel from locally sourced sesame seed oil, used cooking oil and other commercial vegetable oils in Erbil-Iraqi Kurdistan

Abstract

Production of biodiesel from locally produced sesame oil and commercially available sunflower oil, corn oil, and hazelnut oil and used cooking oil was carried out by transesterification method. Effect of different parameters was studied; including effect of temperature, oil to alcohol ratio, time of transesterification, and type and amount of alkaline catalyst in order to achieve the optimum condition to obtain the highest conversion. The results indicate that 60oC, 1:6 oil to methanol ratio, 2hrs reaction time and 1.5 wt % KOH were optimum conditions for transesterification to achieve the highest conversion of the vegetable oils to the corresponding biodiesel. The obtained biodiesels were analyzed using ASTM methods to determine the characteristic fuel properties; kinematic viscosity, specific gravity, flash point, pour and cloud point, water content, total sulfur content, acid number and cetane number. For comparison, two commercially available petro-diesels were analyzed using the same tests used for the produced biodiesels.