Response Surface Optimization of Biodiesel Production from Nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum) Oil Enhanced by Microwave and Ionic liquid + NaOH Catalyst

Abstract

Nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum) plant is a highly potential raw material in the biodiesel production, the oil in the seeds is 50-73 %. The microwave has been intensively applied to reduce the processing time while ionic liquid also was used as an acceleration agent in the biodiesel production. The optimum process condition of the biodiesel production using Ionic liquid + NaOH as a catalyst mixture and assisted with microwave heating system were determined in this study. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize three transesterification reaction variables: the catalyst concentration of (0.5-1.5 %wt), the reaction temperature of 60-80 °C, and methanol to oil molar ratio of 6:1–12:1, while the transesterification time was set constant at 6 minutes. The optimization showed that the maximum biodiesel yield can be obtained was 95.8 % at the catalyst concentration of 1.2 %wt, the reaction temperature of 71.3 °C, and methanol to oil molar ratio of 10.8 mole/mole.