Abstract:
Biodiesel is commonly produced by the transesterification of plant oil or animal fat with short chain alcohols. This biomass fuel has received much attention, since it is a kind of alternative, biodegradable, nontoxic, and renewable energy source. It can be used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines with little or no modification in blended or neat form depending on the source of biodiesel. In this study transesterification reactions using cotton seed oil and methanol were performed using NaOH and KOH as catalysts so as to compare the two catalysts and also obtain the optimum reaction parameters which include temperature, and amount of alcohol. The reactions were optimized by varying the amount of methanol and the temperature. The optimum conditions when using KOH as a catalyst were obtained when using 150 % excess methanol at room temperature. Biodiesel of viscosity 4.27 mm2/s, acid value 0.26 mgKOH/g and a yield of 83.94 % was obtained The optimum conditions when using NaOH as a catalyst were obtained when using 150% excess methanol and at temperature of 600C .The Biodiesel had a viscosity of 4.14 mm2/s, acid value of 0.26 mgKOH/g and a yield of 68.60%.The best catalyst was found to be KOH as it gave higher yields under optimum conditions compared to NaOH. At optimum conditions for both catalysts, the fuel parameters measured were within range according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and International Standards Organization (ISO) test methods.
