Microwave assisted biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas L. seed by two-step in situ process: Optimization using response surface methodology

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2013-05, Vol.136, p.565-573
• Main Authors: Jaliliannosrati, Hamidreza, Amin, Nor Aishah Saidina, Talebian-Kiakalaieh, Amin, Noshadi, Iman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Biodiesel; Biofuel production; Biofuels; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Biotechnology - methods; Catalysis; Catalysts; Energy; Esters - metabolism; Ethyl alcohol; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Irradiation; Jatropha - metabolism; Jatropha curcas L; Microwave assisted; Microwaves; Particulate composites; Probability; Regression Analysis; Response surface methodology; Seeds; Seeds - metabolism; Time Factors; Two-step in situ process
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.02.078

► Biodiesel production from JCL seed by in situ two-step process. ► Microwave irradiation was performed for in situ two-step process for the first time. ► Optimization and modeling by RSM to determine optimum reaction parameters. ► Comparison of experimental and modeling results for one and two-step in situ process. The synthesis of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) by a two-step in situ (reactive) esterification/transesterification from Jatropha curcas L. (JCL) seeds using microwave system has been investigated. Free fatty acid was reduced from 14% to less than 1% in the first step using H2SO4 as acid catalyst after 35min of microwave irradiation heating. The organic phase in the first step was subjected to a second reaction by adding 5N KOH in ethanol as the basic catalyst. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) was utilized to design the experiments and analyze the influence of process variables (particles seed size, time of irradiation, agitation speed and catalyst loading) on conversion of triglycerides (TGs) in the second step. The highest triglycerides conversion to fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) was 97.29% at the optimum conditions: