Deriving the contribution of parameters & optimisation of Kusum oil transesterification

With rapid technological growth, the demand for renewable energy sources continues to rise. In this study, Kusum oil has been explored as a raw material for biodiesel production, with efforts directed towards improving the process efficiency. Kusum oil was chosen because it is a non-edible resource that is available in several parts of India and contains a high proportion of suitable fatty acids for biodiesel conversion compared to other non-edible oils. The work focuses on understanding how parameters, such as the molar ratio, reaction time, catalyst concentration, and reaction temperature, affect the yield and quality of the biodiesel. Using the Taguchi approach with a three-level design, these parameters were fine-tuned. The highest biodiesel yield achieved was 86.65%, with lowest 0.23% free fatty acid at a molar ratio of 6:1, 1% (weight) catalyst concentration, 90 min reaction time, and 50°C reaction temperature. Analysis showed that the molar ratio, for the two-step transesterification process which led to reduce the free fatty acid content at first and helped the alcohol to react better with the oil, significantly influenced biodiesel yield (38.29% contribution), while catalyst concentration primarily affected free fatty acid content (67.48% impact) as was found in previous studies on algal or safflower oil biodiesel.