ABSTRACT
Biodiesel, defined as the monoalkyl esters of vegetable oils and animal fats, is becoming
prominent among alternatives to conventional petro-diesel due to economic, environmental
and social factors. Transesterification is the most preferred method of biodiesel production.
Knowledge of transesterification reaction kinetic enables prediction of the extent of the
chemical reaction (or the conversion) at any time under particular conditions. It is also
essential in the optimization of operating conditions in industrial applications and in the
design of reactors for biodiesel production. In this study, transesterification of jatropha oil
with methanol was carried out in a well mixed reactor at different agitation speeds (600-900
rpm) and temperatures (35-65 oC) using sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. The methanol to oil
molar ratio of 6:1 was used and catalyst loading was 0.5% weight of oil. Mass transfer
controlled state was assumed to be minimal using the above agitation speeds. A second order
kinetic model was used to determine the reaction rate constants. The goodness of fit
predicting the moles of methyl ester in the reaction products was determined by correlation
coefficient (R2) and least square curve fit. The forward reactions were the most important as
revealed by the rate constants.
Keywords: Transesterification; Kinetics; Jatropha Oil; Rate Constants; Biodiesel
Okullo1, A , Temu2, A & Ntalikwa2, J (2021). Transesterification Reaction Kinetics of Jatropha Oil for Biodiesel Production. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/transesterification-reaction-kinetics-of-jatropha-oil-for-biodiesel-production
Okullo1, A. et. al. "Transesterification Reaction Kinetics of Jatropha Oil for Biodiesel Production" Afribary. Afribary, 26 Apr. 2021, https://track.afribary.com/works/transesterification-reaction-kinetics-of-jatropha-oil-for-biodiesel-production. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Okullo1, A., A. Temu2 and J.W. Ntalikwa2 . "Transesterification Reaction Kinetics of Jatropha Oil for Biodiesel Production". Afribary, Afribary, 26 Apr. 2021. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/transesterification-reaction-kinetics-of-jatropha-oil-for-biodiesel-production >.
Okullo1, A. , Temu2, A. and Ntalikwa2, J.W. . "Transesterification Reaction Kinetics of Jatropha Oil for Biodiesel Production" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 23, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/transesterification-reaction-kinetics-of-jatropha-oil-for-biodiesel-production