Feasibility study of biodiesel production from residual oil of palm oil mill effluent

Abstract

Pollution from residual oil contaminating wastewater is a serious environmental problem. The rapid development and growth of palm oil industries in Thailand have generated large volumes of palm oil mill effluent (POME) which contains residual oil. Instead of becoming a pollutant in the environment, residual oil from POME can be used as raw material for producing biodiesel. Biodiesel has recently become more attractive as an alternative energy source due to its environmental friendly properties generated from renewable resources. This study investigated the characteristics of residual oil and found: a free fatty acid content of 22.03 % wt, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) of 3.767 %wt, acid value of 49.29 mg KOH/g, water content of 1.01 % mg/Kg, and total glycerines as monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglyceride at 1.15 % m/m, 11.88 % m/m, and 87.54 % m/m respectively. Optimal conditions to separate water from oil contents are also determined. Separation of residual oil from POME is carried out using the solvent extraction process.