Biodiesel synthesis optimization from wet and dry based microalgae chlorella vulgaris by reaction time arrangement

Microalgae have the potential to be used as the raw material for biodiesel synthesis. One of promising microalgae species to be used is Chlorella vulgaris. However, in the process of biodiesel synthesis from microalgae needs to be optimized. In this study, optimization of biodiesel synthesis from wet and dry based microalgae Chlorella vulgaris has been studied. Optimization done by arranges the time of transesterification reaction. Transesterification reaction has been done using KOH catalyst. The reaction time was varied at 20, 40, and 60 minutes. From the results, the highest yields of biodiesel are obtained on the 40 minutes reaction time with biodiesel yield is 75% for wet based microalgae and 62.8% for dry based microalgae. Biodiesel from dry based microalgae Chlorella vulgaris composed by several types of FAME, including saturated FAME such as methyl myristate (4.48%), methyl palmitate (28.3%), and methyl stearate (17.1%), and also composed by unsaturated FAME such as methyl palmitoleate (11.1%) and methyl oleate (39.1%).