Production of biodiesel from sunflower oil seeds Micah Wafula1 1Department of Chemical and
Process Engineering
Moi University Box 3900-30100 Eldoret, Kenya
Abstract Increased gas emissions from the production and use of petroleum products have negative impact on the environment in general, and more specifically on the flora and fauna. This has necessitated the development of alternative cleaner petroleum substitutes such as biodiesel. In this work, an investigation was carried on a pilot scale batch distillation unit to determine operating parameters that influence the quality of the biodiesel. The parameters studied include reaction temperature, amount of catalyst and alcohol, rate of agitation and reaction time. The biodiesel was produced using the method of
transesterification of methanol and sunflower oil with sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. The effects of transesterification on sunflower oil quality and methods of improving the properties of the raw material that render it fit as fuel were investigated. The work further looked at the effects of pre-treatment such as degumming and dewaxing of the oil before the transesterification on the product quality. Comparative engine tests on both
petrodiesel and biodiesel were performed with a view to ascertain the comparative performance of the two fuels. Over the temperatures considered, the results showed that the transesterification of sun-flower oil produced a marked decrease in viscosity and density to a level comparable to those of the petrodiesel. This gave an indication that the biodiesel could be as a good petroleum diesel. Tested on hurricane lumps and pressure stove, it was shown that the biodiesel burned for longer time compared to kerosene and this can be attributed to its higher density and calorific value. On blending with kerosene, its capillarity action improved substantially and, on burning, emissions were unnoticed. From the analysis carried out on biodiesel production from sunflower oilseeds, there are indications that the project looks highly economically viable given the fact that the major raw material is readily available locally at an affordable cost.
Key words: Flash point; Biodiesel; Transesterification; Petrodiesel