Response Surface Methodology Optimization of Biofuels Produced by Catalytic Pyrolysis of Residual Palm Oil from Empty Fruit Bunch over Magnesium Oxide

The pyrolysis of residual crude palm oil from empty fruit bunch was investigated to determine the optimal conditions using a two-level experimental design performed in a 3,000 cm(3) tube SS316 stainless steel reactor. The influence of the reaction temperature, residual CPO feed rate, and N-2 flow rate over MgO on the product distribution yield were determined using a distillation gas chromatograph (DGC) and physicochemical analyses. A two-level factorial design was used to investigate the parameters that influence biofuel yield and product distribution. Additionally, the hydrocarbon molecular structure under optimal conditions was identified using a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass spectrometer. Finally, the optimal conditions of the catalytic cracking of residual CPO were determined as follows; a temperature of 500 degrees C, a 3 cm(3) min(-1) CPO feed rate, a 129.45 cm(3) min(-1) N-2 flow rate and 42.78 v/v% of MgO. This process produced 68.712 wt% of diesel-like fraction content with an intricate composition of aliphatic hydrocarbons consisting of 48.34 wt% alkane and 33.66 wt% alkene that was also diesel-like.