Factorial Design of the Effect of Reaction Temperature and Reaction Time on Biodiesel Production

摘要

Free fatty acid (FFA) could be used to produce biodiesel. FFA usually contains linoleic acid, linolenic, behenic, lauric, palmitic, myristic, arachidic, stearic, and oleic acid. Biodiesel production from FFA using the non-catalytic esterification supercritical methanol has been carried out. Reaction temperature (350 °C, 320 °C, 290 °C, and 250 °C) and reaction time (30, 20, 15, and 10 min) on biodiesel yield were examined using the four-level factorial design of the experiment. Significance and interaction effects have been identified using these two variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to validate the statistic calculation on significance and interaction. The results showed that the F value for each variable and their interactions were 16.87 for reaction time, 409.2 for reaction temperature, and 11.00 for both interactions. Value of degree of freedom is 4.07, obtained from the denominator is eight, and the numerator is 3 (F_(0.05,3,8)). The F value of the reaction temperature and reaction time is greater than F_(0.05,3,8), so it can be concluded that the two variables have a significant effect on the yield of biodiesel production. The interaction of both also has significant value.