Optimization of Biodiesel Production from Castor Seed Oil Using NaOH Catalyst

This research work optimized the production of biodiesel from castor seed oil using NaOH catalyst. The castor seed oil was mix with methanol and NaoH catalyst to undergo a tranesterification reaction. The characterization of the castor seed oil was done using American Society forTesting Materials (ASTDM). The transesterification reaction was repeated with varying catalyst weight, oil to methanol ration, reaction time and reaction temperature. The biodiesel produced was characterized and compared with fossil Diesel fuel. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the various biodiesel samples produced to identify the level of conversion to methyl ester and also identify the component mixture of the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). Central Composite Design (CCD) was used to optimize the reaction process. Optimal value of the reaction shows a high conversion of 94.68 %. The effects of process variables were also studied with regard to conversion. This research work has shown that catalyst play a major role in biodiesel production both in conversion and in quality.