Response surface optimization of a single-step castor oil–based biodiesel production process using a stator-rotor hydrodynamic cavitation reactor

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2024-10, Vol.31 (50), p.60601-60618
• Main Authors: Soliman, Aya, Ismail, Abdallah R., Khater, Mohamed, Amr, Salem A. Abu, El-Gendy, Nour Sh, Ezzat, Abbas Anwar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; biodiesel; Biodiesel fuels; Biofuels; Castor oil; Castor Oil - chemistry; Cavitation; Cost analysis; Crop production; Design factors; Diesel; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; energy; Energy consumption; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; face; fatty acid methyl esters; Feasibility; Hydrodynamics; Oilseeds; pollution; Reactors; Renewable fuels; Research Article; Response surface methodology; Rotor speed; Stators; Sustainable production; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35043-6

In order to combat environmental pollution and the depletion of non-renewable fuels, feasible, eco-friendly, and sustainable biodiesel production from non-edible oil crops must be augmented. This study is the first to intensify biodiesel production from castor oil using a self-manufactured cylindrical stator-rotor hydrodynamic cavitation reactor. In order to model and optimize the biodiesel yield, a response surface methodology based on a 1/2 fraction-three-level face center composite design of three levels and five experimental factors was used. The predicted ideal operating parameters were found to be 52.51°C, 1164.8 rpm rotor speed, 27.43 min, 8.4:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, and 0.89% KOH concentration. That yielded 95.51% biodiesel with a 99% fatty acid methyl ester content. It recorded a relatively low energy consumption and high cavitation yield of 6.09 × 10 5  J and 12 × 10 −3  g/J, respectively. The generated biodiesel and bio-/petro-diesel blends had good fuel qualities that were on par with global norms and commercially available Egyptian petro-diesel. The preliminary cost analysis assured the feasibility of the applied process.