Comparison of Biodiesel Obtained from Virgin Cooking Oil and Waste Cooking Oil Using Supercritical and Catalytic Transesterification

Jeeban Poudel, Sujeeta Karki, Nawaraj Sanjel, Malesh Shah and Sea Cheon Oh
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Jeeban Poudel: Waste & Biomass Energy Technology Center, Kongju National University, 1223-24 Cheonan-Daero, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam 31080, Korea
Sujeeta Karki: Department of Environmental Engineering, Kongju National University, 1223-24 Cheonan-Daero, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam 31080, Korea
Nawaraj Sanjel: Energize Nepal Project, Kathmandu University, 45200 Dhulikhel, Nepal
Malesh Shah: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University, 45200 Dhulikhel, Nepal
Sea Cheon Oh: Department of Environmental Engineering, Kongju National University, 1223-24 Cheonan-Daero, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam 31080, Korea

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: Comparative analysis of transesterification of virgin cooking oil (VCO) and waste cooking oil (WCO) in catalyzed and supercritical transesterification process using methanol and ethanol as solvents has been conducted in this study. The luminous point of this research was the direct comparison of catalytic and supercritical process using the ester composition obtained from virgin cooking oil and waste cooking oil transesterification. Oil to alcohol molar ratio of 1:6 and reaction condition of 65 °C and 1 bar pressure were considered for the catalytic process, while 260 °C and high pressure (65 and 75 bar for methanol and ethanol, respectively) were accounted for the supercritical process. Distinct layer separation was observed for both processes. Ester, fatty acid and glycerol composition was studied for both the upper and lower layers separately, from which 100% ester composition in the upper layer and a mixture of ester and other composition in the lower layer was obtained for the catalytic process owing to succeeding filtration and washing. However, mixture of ester (>75%) and other composition was obtained in both layers for the supercritical process where purification process was not implemented. The similarity in the result obtained demonstrates the superiority of waste cooking oil compared to virgin cooking oil, taking cost into consideration.

Keywords: biodiesel; supercritical transesterification; catalytic transesterification; virgin cooking oil; waste cooking oil; alcohols (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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