Biodiesel production using waste cooking oil and Amberlite 62i as heterogeneous catalyst: Sustainability energy solution

Abstract

This study explores ways to reduce industrial waste from technological development in Indonesia. Indonesia's industrial sector's rapid growth has had positive and negative impacts on other sectors. On the positive side, industrial expansion has significantly contributed to economic growth by creating numerous jobs and facilitating the application of new technologies across various fields. However, the negative impact is evident in industrial waste, including liquid, solid, and gaseous by-products that contain harmful environmental substances. Given the detrimental effects of industrial waste, companies must implement effective waste management strategies. In this study, waste cooking oil (WCO) was neutralized using 5% sulfuric acid up to 10% of the sample weight. The transesterification process was conducted in a 250 mL beaker. WCO was added to the beaker, which already contained an Amberlite 62i catalyst, with the oil-to-methanol molar ratio set at 6:1. The catalyst concentration was varied at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by oil weight. SEM and FT-IR analyses were performed to evaluate the reusability of the catalyst. The highest biodiesel conversion achieved was 82% at 60°C using 20% catalyst, while the maximum flash point recorded was 162°C at the same temperature and catalyst concentration.