Optimization of Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil Using Taguchi Method

Mustard oil is commonly used for cooking purposes. After one use, cooking oil starts to deteriorate and it is also advisable not to consume it as it will be hazardous to health. Every day, due to the huge utilization of mustard oil, tons of waste cooking oil is thrown away in the environment which eventually increases pollution. Therefore, for better utilization of wastage, biodiesel could be the best solution. Biodiesel yield is a very important parameter in the whole production process. To maximize the biodiesel yield with minimal experiment, optimization techniques are well popular. In respect of this, nine transesterification experiments were performed in the presence of an Azolla algae-based heterogeneous catalyst based on the Taguchi orthogonal array technique. At a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 9:1, reaction temperature of 55 °C, a catalyst concentration of 3 wt%, and an hour-long reaction period, the highest yield of 91% was attained. Methanol-to-oil ratio and catalyst concentration were observed as the highest influence factor on biodiesel yield.