Optimization of Pistacia lentiscus Oil Transesterification Process Using Central Composite Design

• Published in: Waste and biomass valorization Vol. 10; no. 9; pp. 2575 - 2581
• Main Authors: Khiari, Karim, Tarabet, Lyes, Awad, Sary, Loubar, Khaled, Mahmoud, Rachid, Tazerout, Mohand
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.09.2019; Springer Nature B.V; Springer
• Subjects: Biodiesel fuels; Biofuels; Catalysis; Catalysts; Chemical and Process Engineering; Design optimization; Diesel; Diesel fuels; Engineering; Engineering Sciences; Environment; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Ethanol; Industrial Pollution Prevention; Mechanical engineering; Mechanics; Oils & fats; Original Paper; Physicochemical properties; Pistacia lentiscus; Renewable and Green Energy; Response surface methodology; Transesterification; Vegetable oils; Waste Management/Waste Technology; Central composite design; Transesterification; Response surface methodology; biodiesel
• ISSN: 1877-2641; 1877-265X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12649-018-0257-2

In the present work, Pistacia lentiscus (PL) biodiesel was produced by converting PL oil with a single-step homogenous alkali catalyzed transesterification process. Several ethanol/vegetable oil molar ratio values (6–12:1), temperatures from 40 to 70 °C and KOH catalyst amounts in the range 0.6–1.8 wt% were considered. The response surface methodology combined with central composite design was used to optimize the process. The results showed that the optimum conditions were obtained for an ethanol/oil molar ratio of 9:1, a reaction temperature of 40 °C and catalyst amount of 1.2 wt%. Under these conditions, the predicted PL oil ethyl ester conversion was around 88%. The characterization of PL biodiesel according to the standard methods showed that the physicochemical properties were similar to those of conventional diesel fuel and in agreement with European requirements.