EFFECT OF CATALYST ON TRANSESTERIFICATION OF NIGER SEED OIL METHYL ESTER

Various researchers have found a variety of alternative fuels and publicized the use of vegetable oils as alternate fuels for diesel engine. Although, there is a restriction of use of straight vegetable oils as alternate fuels by virtuousness of its high viscosity. In this work, the conversion of methyl ester from neat guizotia abyssinica (Niger) seed oil was undertaken through the transesterification process with four different catalysts. The process was carried out with various operating parameters, such as, methanol to oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration, and the reaction temperature for the conversion of NSOME (Niger seed oil methyl ester). It is observed that, the maximum conversion of NSOME is 99.3% with KOCH3 at a methanol to oil molar ratio of 8:1, catalyst concentration of 1.75%, and at a reaction temperature of 65oC with 1 hour duration. After the transesterification process the properties of NSOME were tested and assessed to be close to the ASTM standards.