Polyoxovanadate Catalyzed Synthesis of Biodiesel (Methyl Esters) from Waste Cooking Oil
Abstract:Depleting fossil fuel resources and the steady increase in energy consumption have spurred research interest in alternative and renewable energy sources. This study aimed to investigate the transesterification of waste cooking oil using Polyoxovanadate (POV) as a catalyst. The waste cooking oil was first acquired and subjected to physicochemical analysis for characterization purposes. Subsequently, transesterification of the oil with methanol was performed using Polyoxovanadate (POV) synthesized from Ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) solution at pH. The synthesized POV underwent characterization using techniques including UV-visible spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The resulting biodiesel was also characterized using FTIR, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and its fuel properties were determined using ASTM Methods. The process proved successful, resulting in a biodiesel yield of 76.44 % when employing a catalyst loading of 0.8 g, a 1:9 oil-to-methanol ratio, and conducting the reaction at 60 °C for 90 minutes. The biodiesel obtained predominantly consisted of saturated fatty acid methyl esters. Furthermore, biodiesel exhibited favorable fuel properties that met the standards established by ASTM for diesel engines. Notably. Its low sulfur content highlighted its environmentally friendly nature in comparison to petroleum diesel.