ISSN: 1546-962X
CODEN: JAIOAD
Published Online: 2 March 2010
Page Count: 14

Synthesis of Biodiesel from Tobacco and Waste Frying Oil Using Heterogeneous KHCO₃/Al₂O₃ Catalyst

Anastopoulos, G.
Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical Univ. of Athens, Athens,

Deligiannis, A.
Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical Univ. of Athens, Athens,

Kalligeros, S.
Technical Committee 66-Petroleum Products, Hellenic Organization for Standardization, Athens,

Karonis, D.
Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical Univ. of Athens, Athens,

Zannikos, F.
Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical Univ. of Athens, Athens,

Lois, E.
Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical Univ. of Athens, Athens,

(Received 28 May 2009; accepted 13 January 2010)

Abstract

The transesterification of tobacco seed oil and used frying oil to methyl esters (biodiesel) was studied using potassium bicarbonate loaded on alumina as heterogeneous catalyst. Reaction parameters such as catalyst concentration, methanol to oil ratio, reaction time, and agitation speed on the conversion of tobacco seed and used frying oil were investigated. The catalyst loaded KHCO₃ of 30 % m/m on Al₂O₃, after being calcined at 700°C for 6 h, was found to be the optimum catalyst. The quality of the methyl esters was tested according to the European standard EN 14214. The two types of biodiesel produced seemed to meet all the parameters of the European standard except the oxidation stability. In the case of used frying oil biodiesel, not only the oxidation stability was not met, but this biodiesel did not also meet the acid value and water content specifications.

Keywords:
transesterification, heterogeneous solid catalyst, methyl esters, loading of KHCO3 on Al2O3, calcination

Paper ID: JAI102574
DOI: 10.1520/JAI102574
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