Alkali Catalysis of Different Vegetable Oils for Comparisons of Their Biodiesel Productivity

Ayten Sagiroglu, Hakki Mevlut Ozcan, Sebnem Selen Isbilir, Hatice Paluzar, Neslihan M. Toprakkiran

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.

DOI: 10.4236/jsbs.2013.31011                

Abstract

The main advantages of biodiesel are its biodegradability, renewablity, improved nontoxic exhaust emissions and unnecessary alteration of common diesel engines. Today, biodiesel is produced by catalysis of inorganic acids, alkali and free or immobilized lipases with vegetable oil and short chain alcohols. Alkali and acidic catalysts are the most using catalysts for production of biodiesel because of their higher reaction yield and rate. In this study, we have comprised biodiesel productivity of different vegetable oils like sunflower, safflower, canola, soybean, olive, hazelnut, corn oils and waste sunflower oils by alkali catalysis. The transesterification of oils were performed by using NaOCH₃ as catalyst at 25°C and at 100°C for 1 h. A defined amount of methanol as 6/1 molar ratio to oil was premixed with the metallic sodium. The amount of metallic sodium in methanol was 1.6 w% of oil mass for all of the crude oils/frying oil. Optimum reaction temperature was found as 25°C. TLC (Thin Layer Choromatography) image and GC (Gas Choromatography) results demonstrates that the dominant fatty acid in safflower, soy bean, sunflower, canola, corn and waste sunflower oil esters was linoleic acid (18:2). Besides it was oleic acid (18:1) for the olive and hazelnut oil esters. When biodiesel productivities of eight different oils were compared, similar results were obtained.

Keywords

Biodiesel; Vegetable Oils; Alkali Catalysis; Transesterification; Sodium Methoxilate

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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