Transesterification of Pyrolysed Castor Seed Oil in the Presence of CaCu(OCH3)2 Catalyst

Vikas Sharma,Murugan Vijay,Abul Kalam Hossain,Ganesh Duraisamy

doi:10.3390/en14196064

Abstract

Energy consumption is on the rise due to rapid technological progress and a higher standard of living. The use of alternative energy resources is essential to meet the rising energy demand and mitigate the carbon emissions caused due to use of fossil-based fuels. Biodiesel produced from non-edible oils such as castor seed oil (CO) can be used in diesel engines to replace fossil diesel. However, the quality and yields for CO biodiesel is low due to the presence of ricinolic acid C18:1OH (79%). In this study, two-stage conversion techniques were used to improve the yields and properties of CO biodiesel. The catalyst CaCu(OCH3)2 was prepared from waste eggshell and synthesized with copper oxide in the presence of methanol. The castor oil was subjected to pyrolysis at 450–500 °C and then transesterified in the presence of modified catalyst. The reaction parameters such as methanol-to-oil ratio and catalyst and reaction time were investigated, and the optimum combination was used to produce castor biodiesel from pyrolysis castor oil. Results showed that the cetane number and oxidation stability were increased by 7% and 42% respectively. The viscosity, density, flash point, and iodine value were decreased by 52%, 3%, 5% and 6%, respectively. The calorific values remained the same. This study suggests that pyrolyzed castor seed oil followed by transesterification in the presence of a modified catalyst gave better fuel properties and yields than the conventional transesterification process for biodiesel fuel production.

Highlights

The global energy demand has increased rapidly due to continuous growth in industrialization and the world population [1]
The particle size was not found less than 100 nm as shown Figure 6b; it cannot be considered as nanoparticle
To find the optimized condition for modified catalyst [CaCu(OCH3)2], an experiment was performed in terms of oil-to-methanol ratio, catalyst concentration, reaction time, and temperature

Summary

Introduction

The global energy demand has increased rapidly due to continuous growth in industrialization and the world population [1]. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), worldwide, fossil fuels fulfill the energy demand of 80% countries [3]. This demand will increase from 95 barrels (in 2015) to 113 barrels/day by 2040, while by 2030, it is projected to increase by 53% from 2001 [1,3]. The sustainable alternative fuel should be readily available, affordable, eco-friendly, and technically viable [7] In this search, it is found that biodiesel is the most suitable sustainable fuel for diesel engine due to its similar fuel properties and clean burning [7]. The biodiesel is a mono-alkyl ester of long chain fatty acids [7]. The production of methyl or ethyl ester is mainly dependent on the type of alcohol used [7]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion