OPTIMIZATION OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM PALM FATTY ACID DISTILATE (PFAD) AND SYNTHESIZED BAMBARA NUT SHELL CATALYST USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM)

Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD) is a by-product from palm oil refining industry. A considerable amount of PFAD is produced each year in Malaysia , and using it for biodiesel production is one of the methods to utilize it. The suitability of PFAD in biodiesel production was studied through esterification reaction catalysed by a carbon-based solid acid catalyst. Esterification was carried out to determine the highest percentage of biodiesel conversion from PFAD using a three neck bottom flask and a magnetic stirrer at a fixed temperature of 64 °C. In this study, three parameters were optimized namely: reaction time (1hr -4hrs), alcohol to oil molar ratio (8 : 1 – 12 : 1) and catalyst loading (1.0 wt% - 5.0 wt%) were studied with PFAD as feedstock. The study was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) with central composite design (CCD) by using Design Expert Software. Their individual and interactions effects on biodiesel conversion were discussed and compared. Catalyst load and interaction with methanol to oil ratio showed the highest influence on biodiesel conversion. From the results 94.6% was gotten as the highest actual experimental conversion of biodiesel, with the conditions: 10:1 methanol to oil ratio, 5 wt% catalyst load and 2.5 hours reaction time. An optimization study employing response surface methodology (RSM) predicted that a maximum conversion of 93.07788% could be attained using a 4-hour reaction duration, a 5 wt% catalyst loading, and a 12:1 alcohol to oil molar ratio. To validate these predictions, laboratory experiments were conducted under these optimal conditions, resulting in a conversion rate of 93.0%.