Biodiesel production from palm olein: A sustainable bioresource for Nigeria
Felix Ishola, Damola S. Adelekan, Angela O. Mamudu, T.J. Abodunrin, Abraham K. Aworinde, Obafemi O. Olatunji, Stephen A. Akinlabi
Abstract
Dangerous environmental consequences and market unpredictability of fossil fuels have necessitated the need for sustainable large-scale production of biofuel in Nigeria. Unrefined palm oil (UPO) is a significant product of commercially available oil palm plants in the country. This study experimentally investigates the production of biodiesel from refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm olein extracted from UPO obtained from batch reactors. The transesterification process of the RBD palm olein with methanol and in the presence of potassium hydroxide (KOH) catalyst produced biodiesel with a 62.5% yield, thus confirming its feasibility for mass production. The derived biodiesel has properties equivalent to ASTM D792 standard for biodiesel fuels.