Biodiesel production from used frying oil and microalgae: A preliminary study

Abstract

In order to replace 1st generation biodiesel, used frying oil (UFO) and microalgae lipids (Tetraselmis sp.) were tested as feedstocks for biodiesel production. The following conditions were tested for UFO homogenous alkali transesterification: temperature - 60°C; methanol to UFO molar ratio - 6:1; catalyst (potassium hydroxide) to UFO mass ratio - 1%; reaction time - 10 min. A biodiesel yield of 80% (g biodiesel/g UFO) was obtained with a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content of 87% (g FAME/g biodiesel). For microalgae lipids homogenous acid transesterification (catalyst: sulphuric acid), a reaction time of 10 min and a temperature of 68°C led to a biodiesel yield of 50% (g biodiesel/g lipid). This study showed the potential of Tetraselmis sp. microalgae as feedstock for biodiesel production even if UFO resulted in a higher biodiesel yield. © 2014 WIT Press.