Rubber seed oil biodiesel synthesis via ethanolysis using a blend of four biogenic residues as a sustainable heterogeneous catalyst

Chiazor Faustina Jisieike, Eriola Betiku, Tunde V. Ojumu and Lekan M. Latinwo

Renewable Energy, 2025, vol. 252, issue C

Abstract: Converting biogenic residues into value-added products is essential to reduce biodiesel production costs and combat environmental pollution. This study developed nanoparticles from ripe plantain peel, fluted pumpkin (ugu), cocoa, and kola nut husks (PUCK) blend as a biocatalyst and a renewable alcohol (ethanol) for biodiesel synthesis from rubber seed oil (RSO). The catalytic activity of the biocatalyst was examined through Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-Barret-Joyner-Halenda - BET-BJH, scanning electron microscope-Energy-dispersive X-ray - SEM-EDX, X-ray diffraction - XRD, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy - FT-IR analyses. The Taguchi orthogonal array (L9) technique was utilized to model the transesterification process and optimize the independent variables. The optimum RSO ethyl esters (RSOEE) yield of 93.05 ± 0.11 wt% was attained at 1.5 wt% PUCK loading, 60 °C temperature, 40 min reaction time, and a 9:1 ethanol-RSO molar ratio. The biocatalyst reveals significant metallic content, with potassium (K) exhibiting the highest fraction of 47.95 % at 300 °C for 4 h. The biocatalyst demonstrates excellent performance with consistent activity under optimized parametric conditions, sustaining a biodiesel yield of over 85 wt% even past the fifth recycle. The RSOEE characteristics satisfied the biodiesel standard specifications. RSOEE represents an entirely renewable fuel, as all its components, oil, biocatalyst, and ethanol, can be derived from biomass resources.

Keywords: Biodiesel; Taguchi; Transesterification; Rubber seed; Optimization; Heterogeneous catalyst (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:252:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125011620

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123500

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