Characterization of Biodiesel Produced from Waste Cooking Oil Obtained from Food Vendors within Awka Metropolis

摘要

The environmental issues associated with the use of fossil-based energy sources have informed the search for more sustainable energy alternatives. This work investigated the potential of producing biodiesel from waste cooking oil (WCO) collected from eateries and fast food restaurants in Awka, Anambra Nigeria. One-step alkaline (KOH) catalytic process was employed in the production of the biodiesel, which was subsequently characterized using standard analytical chemistry techniques and gas chromatography fitted with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) for the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) composition. Maximum biodiesel yield of 92.6% w/w WCO was observed at methanol-oil molar ratio of 6:1 and catalyst concentration of 0.7 KOH wt %. The produced biodiesel was rich in monounsaturated and saturated fatty acid (74.80%) implying that it was stable and less prone to oxidative attack. Other physicochemical parameters for the produced biodiesel fall within the range stipulated by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The work gives ample evidence that oil from eateries in Awka could be used in producing high quality biodiesel in an easy, one-step transesterification reaction without the need for acid esterification which increases the overall cost of the production process.