(373b) Production of Biodiesel from Peanut Oil by Transesterification

As energy demands increase and fossil fuels are limited, research is directed towards alternative renewable fuels. A potential diesel oil substitute is biodiesel, consisting of methyl esters of fatty acids produced by the transesterification reaction of triglycerides of vegetable oils with methanol with the help of a catalyst. In our research, production of biodiesel from peanut oil with alkali catalyst by transesterification was discussed, and effects of operational parameters such as molar ratio of methanol to oil, concentration of alkali catalyst, reaction temperature and reaction time on transesterification reaction were investigated. The results showed that the optimal parameters were that the molar ratio of methanol to oil was 6:1, concentration of alkali was 1%, reaction temperature was 45 centigrade and reaction time was 60min. At the same time, it was found that biodiesel product was consisted of about eleven kinds of fatty acid methyl esters by GC-MS analysis, among which relative contents of palmitic acid methyl esters and linolenic acid methyl esters were higher. In addition, glycerol was obtained as a by-product after transesterification. Compared with diesel oil, main properties of biodiesel are shown to be well comfirmed to that of No. 0 mineral diesel oil. With recent increases in petroleum prices and uncertainties concerning petroleum availability, there is renewed interest in vegetable oil fuels for Diesel engines.