Optimization and Characterization of Biofuel from Waste Cooking Oil

Waste cooking oil (WCO) is regarded as one of the best feedstock for the production of biodiesel. The waste cooking oil used in this study was prepared in the laboratory by adding 5 wt. % of oleic acid into 95 wt. % of soybeans oil. 10 wt. % of titania-supported-magnesium oxide catalyst (MgO/TiO2) used was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and characterized using XRF, BET and XRD. These materials were tested and used as catalyst for the conversion of waste vegetable oil to biodiesel in the presence of methanol and hexane co-solvents. Methanol to hexane mole ratio of 1:1 was employed in the transesterification process. The effects of reaction time, reaction temperature and hexane co-solvent on the waste vegetable oil conversion have been established. The (HNMR)-H-1 analysis was used to estimate the structure of FAME produced. It was observed that the oil conversion increased with the increase in reaction time, reaction temperature and use of hexane as co-solvent.