Microwave-based Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil using Waste Aluminium Foil (NaOH/γ-Al2O3) as Catalyst

Abstract

In present study, the waste aluminium foil a menace to the environment and human health has been converted into catalyst. The prepared catalyst NaOH/γ-Al₂O₃ (3% by wt. of oil) has been used to transesterify waste cooking oil (WCO) in combination to methyl alcohol (CH3OH) having a methyl alcohol to oil molar ratio of 15:1 for a reaction time of 1 hour in microwave based processor. The effect of different process affecting constraints such as catalyst amount, reaction temperature/time, the molar ratio of methyl alcohol to oil are also studied. The bio-diesel yield has been recorded as 98% and the physicochemical properties of bio-diesel found in reasonable agreement with ASTM bio-diesel standards.