Biodiesel Production from the Seeds of Mimusops elengi Using Potassium Aluminium Silicate as Novel Catalyst

Srinivasan GR, Palani S and Ra

Abstract

Biodiesel is considered as most promising alternative for fossil fuels because of its robust combustion characteristics and self-sustainability. Identifying a suitable feed stock with good lipid content, optimized reaction parameters will help standardizing this fuel globally. This paper deals with production of biodiesel from the oil of Mimusops elengi by heterogeneous catalyzed transesterification reaction. Methanol in stoichiometric molar ratio was used as the solvent for reaction whereas potassium aluminium silicate was used heterogeneous catalyst with a weight corresponding to weight of oil. Maximum oil content present in the seed was found to be 13%, which was determined using Soxhlet’s extraction and the dominant acids found in the extracted oil were stearic acid and Palmitic acids. The molar ratio was found out to be 1:9, with catalyst concentration of 2% weight of oil, for a temperature of 60oC. A maximum yield of 73.4% was obtained using this novel catalyst with stearate as dominant methyl ester. The novel catalyst can be reused again for the reaction without compromising the conversion yield.