The effect of pressure and temperature on biodiesel production using castor oil

Abstract

Renewable biodiesel which growth 7% annually can be used as a substitute for conventional fuels. Biodiesels can be produced from various vegetable oils such as Castor Oil. Therefore, the study aims to investigate influence of pressure and temperature, and interaction of both factors on biodiesel production using Castor Oil. The research was conducted by simulation combined with factorial design to investigate the correlation between pressure and temperature. The mass ratio of methanol to oil was 2:1. The pressure was varied at 202 kPa until 707 kPa, while the temperature was controlled from 65°C to 85°C. The results show that the purity of biodiesel was 97% with a yield of 93%. The effect of temperature is more significant than that of pressure, and the is strong interaction between pressure and temperature in biodiesel production process.