Biodiesel production from transesterification of Australian Brassica napus L. oil: optimisation and reaction kinetic model development

• Published in: Environment, development and sustainability development and sustainability, 2023-11, Vol.25 (11), p.12247-12272
• Main Authors: Hazrat, M. A., Rasul, M. G., Khan, M. M. K., Ashwath, N., Fattah, I. M. R., Ong, Hwai Chyuan, Mahlia, T. M. I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: activation energy; biodiesel; Biodiesel fuels; Biofuels; Biorefineries; biorefining; Brassica; Brassica napus; Canola oil; Catalysts; Commercialization; confidence interval; cooking fats and oils; Current Progress on Advanced Technologies for Biofuel Production and Utilisation; Diesel; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Economic Geology; Economic Growth; Edible oils; Environment; Environmental Economics; Environmental Management; environmental sustainability; Feasibility; feedstocks; Industrial development; Industrial districts; Industrial plants; industrialization; industry; kinetics; methanol; Multivariate analysis; Optimization; Performance evaluation; Petroleum; Race; Rape plants; Raw materials; Reaction kinetics; Reactivity; regression analysis; Regression models; Response surface methodology; stakeholders; Statistical analysis; Sustainable Development; Transesterification; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 1387-585X; 1573-2975
• DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02506-0

Edible oil-based feedstocks based biodiesel is still leading the industry around the world. Canola oil ( Brassica napus L.) contributes significantly to that race. Process optimisation and the development of reaction kinetic models of edible oil feedstocks are still required since the knowledge of kinetics is needed for designing industrial facilities and evaluating the performance of catalysts during transesterification or other related processes in a biorefinery. This research focuses on the transesterification process for biodiesel production because of its higher output efficiency, reactivity with feedstock, techno-economic feasibility in terms of FFA content, and environmental sustainability. The response surface method with the Box–Behnken model was used to optimise the process. Multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also performed to investigate the effectiveness of the regression model. The optimal process conditions were found to be 5.89 M methanol, 0.5% (w/w) KOH, 60 °C and 120 min. The predicted yield was 99.5% for a 95% confidence interval (99.1, 99.9). The experimental yield was 99.6% for these conditions. Two different kinetic models were also developed in this study. The activation energy was 16.9% higher for the pseudo-first-order irreversible reaction than for the pseudo-homogenous irreversible reaction. Such a comprehensive analysis will assist stakeholders in evaluating the technology for industrial development in biodiesel fuel commercialisation.