Biomass and Biofuel Project

PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL VIA WASTE-COOKING OIL USING

CALCIUM OXIDE AS CATALYST.

B.Sc. Chemical Engineering

Name Registration No.
Shahzaib 2020-CH-233
Mughees Ahmad 2020-CH-283
Muhammad Sobaan Saeed 2020-CH-237
Submitted to

Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman

Group Members

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL, POLYMER, AND COMPOSITE MATERIALS

ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY LAHORE, NEW CAMPUS
Table of Contents:
Objective:..............................................................................................................................................................3
Production of Biodiesel from waste cooking oil in the presence of CaO as a catalyst......................................3
Chemicals required:.............................................................................................................................................3
Apparatus:............................................................................................................................................................3
Theory:..................................................................................................................................................................3
Safety and Precautions:.......................................................................................................................................5
Procedure:.............................................................................................................................................................6
Observations & calculations:..............................................................................................................................7
Graphs:..................................................................................................................................................................8
Results & discussions:..........................................................................................................................................9
Errors:...................................................................................................................................................................9
Pictures:...............................................................................................................................................................10
References:..........................................................................................................................................................11
 Production of Bio-diesel

Objective:
Production of Biodiesel from waste cooking oil in the presence of CaO as a
catalyst.

Chemicals required:
o Waste cooking oil (200 ml)
o Calcium Oxide CaO(2 g)
o Methanol (40 ml)
o Aluminum foil (for covering)

Apparatus:
 Beakers (500 ml)
 Measuring cylinder (50 ml)
 Conical Flask (500 ml)
 Pipette
 Funnel
 Hot plate
 Water bath
 Separating funnel
 Thermometer
 Filter paper
 Weighing balance
 Stirrer

Theory:
Bio-diesel:

Biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel manufactured domestically from vegetable oils,

animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel meets both the biomass-based diesel and
overall advanced biofuel requirement of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of
long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as
animal fat (tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with an alcohol,
producing a methyl, ethyl or propyl ester by the process of transesterification.
 Unlike the vegetable and waste oils used to fuel converted diesel engines, biodiesel is a drop-
in biofuel, meaning it is compatible with existing diesel engines and distribution
infrastructure. However, it is usually blended with Petro diesel (typically to less than 10%)
since most engines cannot run on pure biodiesel without modification. Biodiesel blends can
also be used as heating oil.

The US National Biodiesel Board defines "biodiesel" as a mono-alkyl ester.

Properties:

 The color of biodiesel ranges from clear to golden to dark brown, depending on the
production method and the feedstock used to make the fuel. This also changes the resulting
fuel properties.

 In general, biodiesel is slightly miscible with water, has a high boiling point and low
vapor pressure.

 The flash point of biodiesel can exceed 130 °C (266 °F), significantly higher than that of
petroleum diesel which may be as low as 52 °C (126 °F).

 Biodiesel has a density around ~0.88 g/cm3, higher than Petro diesel (~0.85 g/cm3).

 The calorific value of biodiesel is about 37.27 MJ/kg. This is 9% lower than regular
Number 2 Petro diesel.

 Variations in biodiesel energy density is more dependent on the feedstock used than the
production process. Still, these variations are less than for Petro diesel. It has been claimed
biodiesel gives better lubricity and more complete combustion thus increasing the engine
energy output and partially compensating for the higher energy density of Petro diesel.

 Biodiesel also contains virtually no sulfur and although lacking sulfur compounds that in
Petro diesel provide much of the lubricity, it has promising lubricating properties and cetane
ratings compared to low sulfur diesel fuels and often serves as an additive to ultra-low-sulfur
diesel (ULSD) fuel to aid with lubrication.

 Biodiesel Fuels with higher lubricity may increase the usable life of high-pressure fuel
injection equipment that relies on the fuel for its lubrication. Depending on the engine, this
might include high pressure injection pumps, pump injectors (also
 called unit injectors) and fuel injectors.
Applications:

 Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel
at any concentration in most injection pump diesel engines.
 New extreme high-pressure (29,000 psi) common rail engines have strict factory
limits of B5 or B20, depending on manufacturer.
 Biodiesel has different solvent properties from Petro diesel, and will degrade
natural rubber gaskets and hoses in vehicles (mostly vehicles manufactured before
1992), although these tend to wear out naturally and most likely will have already
been replaced with FKM, which is nonreactive to biodiesel.
 Biodiesel has been known to break down deposits of residue in the fuel lines where
Petro diesel has been used. As a result, fuel filters may become clogged with
particulates if a quick transition to pure biodiesel is made.
 Therefore, it is recommended to change the fuel filters on engines and heaters shortly
after first switching to a biodiesel blend.

Uses:

 Vehicular use and manufacturer acceptance

 Railway usage
 As a heating oil
 Cleaning oil spills
 Biodiesel in generators
 Fuel efficiency
 Combustion
 Emissions
 Material compatibility

Safety and Precautions:

Bio-diesel:

 Chemical-resistant gloves (butyl rubber is best for methanol and lye).

 Chemistry goggles (indirect vented).

 Face shield.

 Dust mask or cartridge respirator.

  Plumbed eyewash station.

 Small spray bottle with vinegar for neutralizing lye spills, etc.
Methanol:

 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.

 Keep container tightly closed.
 Use explosion- proof equipment.
 Take precautionary measures against static discharge.

Calcium oxide:

 For calcium oxide in solution absorb liquids in dry sand, earth, or a

similar material and place into sealed containers for disposal.
 DO NOT wash into sewer. For water spills, neutralize with dilute acid (such as
Acetic Acid).
 Calcium oxide is harmful to aquatic life in very low concentrations.

Procedure:
 Firstly, we wash the apparatus clearly to remove any dirt or previous chemicals.
 We took 200 ml waste cooking oil in 500 ml glass beaker.
 Filtered that oil using filter paper to remove any impurities from that oil.
 By using a hot plate, we heat the oil at 60 degrees Celsius and check the
temperature using thermometer.
 On the other hand, we measured 2g of CaO using weighing balance & put that into
measuring flask.
 We took 40 ml of methanol using the measuring cylinder & pour that into
measuring flask with CaO.
 We mixed measured CaO & methanol well and then added them into the
heated cooking oil & mixed them well.
 Covered that mixture with Aluminum foil.
 Switched on the water bath & set that to 60 degrees Celsius.
 After Achieving temperature, placed that mixture into the water bath for 1 hour at
60 degrees Celsius.
  After that we poured that mixture into the separating funnel for that glycerol might be
settled down after settling time. Upper layer was of Bio-diesel.
 After separation of both layers, by using a separating funnel, we passed the water
from Bio-diesel to remove any mixed matter from that. This process is called washing
of Bio-diesel.
 After washing, two immiscible layers formed in the funnel and then we removed
 water from the bottom and the remaining layer was of pure Bio-diesel.

Observations & calculations:

1) Engler’s viscometer: To determine viscosity in Engler’s seconds

Table 1: Engler's viscometer readings on various

temperatures

Sr Oil Time Time E=t1/ Kinema Dens Absol

No. t2
Temperat for for tic ity ute
ure (C0 ) collecti collecti viscosit g/cm Viscos
ng ng y 3 ity
100ml 100ml (cm2/se (Dynes
of oil of c) -
t1(sec) water sec/cm
t2(sec) 2)
1 30 15.01 5.99 2.505 0.0465 0.8521 0.039
2 40 12.09 5.23 2.312 0.0425 0.8325 0.035
3 50 10.11 5.01 2.020 0.0391 0.8150 0.029

Where A=0.076 cm2/sec

B=0.04cm

2) The cloud point of our biodiesel is 0 degree Celsius and pour point is 1
degree Celsius.
3) The pH of the bio-diesel was 8 on pH meter, which is close to the literature value.
Graphs:

Figure 1: Relationship b/w Temperature & Density

Kinematic Viscosity &

0.04
Temperature
7
0.04
6
Kinematic Viscosity

0.04
5 0.042
0.04
4
0.04
3 0.039
0.04
2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature

Figure 2: Relation b/w Temperature & Kinematic viscosity

Dynamic Viscosity VS
0.04
Temperature
5 0.03
0.04 0.03
Dynamic Viscosity (Dyne-

0.03 0.02
5
0.03
0.02
5
0.02
0.01
5
0.01
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Temperature

Figure 3: Relation b/w Temperature & Dynamic Viscosity

Results & discussions:
With a pour point of 1°C and a cloud point of 0°C, the biodiesel demonstrated
exceptional low-temperature capabilities, demonstrating its ability to perform well
even in extremely chilly situations. The biodiesel's high content of unsaturated fatty
acids, which enhance its cold flow qualities, is responsible for its low pour point.
Additionally, it was discovered that the biodiesel's kinematic viscosity was 0.0465
cm2/sec, which is appropriate for use in commercial biodiesel fuels. The biodiesel's
low viscosity suggests that it should run through fuel injection systems with little
resistance, lowering the possibility of blockages and enhancing engine performance.
The biodiesel generally displayed positive qualities, making it a potential feasible
substitute for conventional fossil fuels.
If we compare our values with literature survey, then kinematic viscosity and
dynamic viscosity of bio-diesel is (4 - 3.3) mm2/sec and (3 – 5) dyne-sec/mm2
respectively.
And the cloud point and pour point is -1°C & 0°C, respectively which was close to
our experiment.
The pH of the bio-diesel is 9.5 according to literature survey.

Errors:
 Human error:

The bio-diesel which we prepared in lab was not properly filtered due to unavailability of
filter paper so that we just stained it through a Stainer. Impurities were still remained
after washing of bio-diesel.

 Apparatus error:

pH meter was not properly working, also the temperature was not attained at exact 50°C
due to old apparatus that’s why our viscosities vary less with water temperature.
 Pictures:

Figure 4: Heating Figure 5: Figure 6: Mixing all

of cooking oil Measurement of KOH reagents
and pouring it into
Ethanol

Figure 8: Setting the 60 degrees temperature

in water bath

Figure 7: Heating Figure 9: 60

the mixture again degrees temperature

Figure 10: Heating

in water bath at 60 Figure 11: Settling time
degrees Celsius for 1 to separate biodiesel
hour from glycerol
 References:
 https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/biodiesel_basics.
 https://www.kem.kyoto/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/03/
MSDS_GHS- 0057E.pdf
 https://farm-energy.extension.org/safety-in-small-scale-biodiesel-production/
 https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1571.pdf
 https://dieselnet.com/tech/fuel_biodiesel_std.php
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6170317/
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275526328_Biodiesel_Viscosity_and_Flash_Point_Determin
ation