PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FISH OIL METHYL ESTER

Abstract

Limited availability of edible oils prevents it from being used as viable source of Biodiesel.  Low cost and abundantly found fish oil produced from soap stock could be a better option for biodiesel processing. Such type of fish oil contains a higher amount of moisture and FFA and requires a pre-treatment prior to biodiesel production. In this study, refining of raw oil, optimization of process variables of transesterification, qualitative as well as quantitative aspects of fish oil methyl ester (FOME) has been evaluated. With optimized production process, it was found that almost complete conversion of fish oil to methyl ester has taken place. The fuel properties of FOME were found to be in accordance with the ASTM, IS and EN standards.