Effects of process parameters on methyl ester yield from fruit-peel ash catalyzed lard oil methanolysis

Abstract

The viability of utilizing ash from fruit-peel of banana, plantain, and hybrid banana-plantain as low-cost hetero-basic solid catalysts in waste-lard-oil (WLO) methanolysis in lard-oil-methyl-ester (LOME) production was explored together with the effects of process parameters on LOME conversion. The catalyst properties were ascertained using SEM-EDX, XRD, and BET. The effects of temperature, catalyst-amount, time, and methanol-to-WLO molar proportion on LOME yield utilizing the various catalysts were investigated. Each of the catalysts exhibited high catalytic ability in WLO methanolysis resulting in over 95% LOME yield at the optimal settings of 60^oC, 2.5 wt. % catalyst amount, and 10.5:1 molar proportion at a reduced period of 1.5 h, and mixing rate of 300 rpm. The CBPA-catalyzed WLO transesterification depicted the highest catalytic capability FAME yield of 98.8%. The catalysts' effectiveness in the WLO transesterification was in relation to the potassium content and the surface area. The LOME physicochemical properties were within the specified biodiesel standard. Thus, a route for an ecologically and economically sustainable fuel could be established with bio-derived catalysts