TWO STEP HOMOGENEOUS CATALIZED METANOLYSIS OF RUBBER SEED OIL TO BIODIESEL

Abstract

The rapid depletion of fossil fuel and its environmental impact has resulted in the search for alternative energy sources . Among the various alternatives investigated for diesel replacement, biodiesel has emerged the most suitable alternative to diesel fuel. This research work is therefore focused on the use of low cost none-edible rubber seed oil, methanol solvent and sodium hydroxide catalyst for production of rubber seed oil (RSO) fatty acid methyl ester (RSOFAME). as a renewable energy. The oil content of rubber seed was extracted using solvent extraction method. The RSO extracted was characterized based on American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods. The fatty acid profile was determined using gas chromatography mass spectrometry while the functional group of the oil was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effect of process parameter on the yield of RSOFAME was investigated using one factor at a time method. The RSO was pretreated to reduce the free fatty acid below 1% and then transterified using methanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) catalyst. The fuel properties of the RSOFAME produced was determined based on ASTM standards. The physiochemical properties of RSO , acid value, free fatty acid, saponification value, iodine value , peroxide value, kinematic viscosity, fire point, flash point, cloud point, pour point, refractive index specific gravity, moisture content, and density gave the values 28.72mgKOHg-1, 14.36%, 185.66mgKOHg-1 120.4gI2100g-1, 14.62meqkg-1, 38.5mm2s-1 @ 400C, 1800C, 1320C, 60C, 20C 1.428, 0.92, 7%, 920Kgm-3, respectively. The fatty acid profile of RSO shows the constituent unsaturated fatty acids to be oleic acid 19.6% and linoleic acid 22.588%, while the saturated fatty acid constituents are lauric acid 3.983%, myristic acid 7.750%, palmitic acid 16.698%, stearic acid 39.058% The process parameters greatly affected the biodiesel yield. The experimentally determined properties of the RSOFAME, density, kinematic viscosity, cetane number,, flash point, cloud point, water content, acid value, calorific value, iodine value, and pour point gave the values, 880kgm-3 4.25mm2s-1, 58.2, 1640C, 40C. 0.44%, 0.32mgKOHg-1, 38.5MJkg-1,72gI2100g-1,20C,respectively.