Trans-esterification of tobacco seed oil using some agricultural wastes as catalysts
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Date
2017
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers
Abstract
Fatty acid methyl esters were produced from tobacco seed oil having high free fatty acid (FFA) content (13.02%). The high FFA content of tobacco seed oil was reduced to less than 2% in a 1 h reaction by a two-step process. The first step was acid-catalysed esterification reaction conducted at 50 oC using 1% w/w H2SO4, 18:1 molar ratio methanol with respect to the high FFA tobacco seed oil to produce methyl ester by lowering the acid value. The second step was transesterification of the treated oil obtained using 6:1 methanol to oil ratio. The following catalysts:1%w/w KOH, 2%w/w cocoa pod ash and 2%w/w rice husk ash were employed to produce fatty acids methyl esters at 65oC. The yields for fatty acids methyl esters obtained were 96%, 94.6% and 82% in 2h for KOH, cocoa pod ash and rice husk ash catalysts respectively.
Description
Keywords
Biodiesel,, Tobacco seed oil,, Transesterification,, Cocoa pod ash;, Rice husk ash
Citation
Journal of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers 32(1) 65-75.