Optimisation of biodiesel production from Jack fruit seed oil using response surface methodology

Abstract

In this work, the FFA of raw jack fruit seed oil was found to be 4.92%. The raw oil was converted into biodiesel by means of an alkali-based transesterification process. The transesterification process is governed by various parameters such as methanol-oil ratio, reaction time, catalyst loading and reaction temperature. The optimisation of above-said parameters has been carried out by means of response surface methodology using un-coded units in Box–Behnken Design. The optimised yield of methyl ester of Jack fruit seed oil is obtained at 1:8 molar ratio, 60°C reaction temperature, 90 min reaction time and 0.6 wt.% catalyst loading. Based on these parameters, the experimental yield has been found to be 92.5% which is in accordance with the optimised yield. The FFA of the biodiesel obtained using the optimised conditions have been found to be 2.14% which is in accordance with ASTM standards. The properties of the biodiesel obtained using the optimised conditions have been compared with the parent oil.

KEYWORDS:

• Response surface methodology
• ANOVA
• optimisation
• Box–Behnken Design (BBD) and Jack fruit seed oil

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the management of Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi for providing laboratory facility to perform this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.