Biodiesel Production from Consortium of Microalgae
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Date
2014-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The aim of the research work is to determine and analyze the factors that affect the yield of
biodiesel production from algal biomass and to optimize the processing conditions. Microalgae
oil was extracted from dried and grinded consortium microalgae through soxhlet extraction
method and the physicochemical properties were determined. Design Expert 7.0.0 software
application was used to statistically analyze data obtained from experimental work. The factors
that affect the biodiesel yield were investigated. The density, viscosity, acid value, saponification
value and free fatty acids were recorded as 0.94g/ml, 41.85mm2/s, 4.63mgKOH/g of oil,
201.72mg/g of oil, and 2.32% respectively.
Alkali catalytic methanol transesterification method was employed to produce biodiesel from the
oil and to improve the physicochemical properties of the oil. Temperature is found to be the
factor that highly affects the yield of biodiesel. An optimum yield of 89.61% (44.8ml) biodiesel
was obtained at reaction temperature of 53.270c, 1.99% catalyst and 6.18 alchol to oil molar
ratio. The physicochemical properties of the optimum obtained biodiesl were determined and the
results were compared with the ASTM and EN standards. The physicochemical properties were
recorded as density (0.89g/ml), viscosity (5.5mm2/s), acid value (0.78mgKOH/g of oil), moisture
content (0.026%w/w), ash content (0.022%), free fatty acid (0.39%).
The results showed that the fuel properties are within the ASTM and EN standards and it
suggests the potential of algal oil as a feedstock for biodiesel industry which could be exploited
as an alternative source of fuel.
Key Words: Biodiesel, Algal Biomass, Soxhlet Extraction, Transesterification &
Physicochemical Properties.
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Keywords
Biodiesel, Algal Biomass, Soxhlet Extraction, Transesterification & Physicochemical Properties