Experimental and theoretical feasibility study of methanol application for Echium oil-based biodiesel production

In this study, the effect of ultrasound waves on biodiesel production from methanol and Echium oil is evaluated experimentally under different operating conditions. A two-step esterification-transesterification process was applied to improve the biodiesel quality, and, in order to optimize the reaction conditions, the effect of variables such as methanol to oil molar ratio, KOH catalyst concentration and temperature were experimentally investigated. The results showed that the optimum biodiesel yield (97.2%) could be obtained at a catalyst concentration of 1.875% w.t, feed molar ratio equal to 9.65, and at 50 oC of operating temperature. The acid value, saponification numbers, iodine value, density, kinematic viscosity, fire point, cloud point and flash point were measured and compared with ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 standards. The results of the analysis showed that the produced biodiesel is a good alternative to fossil fuels. The results demonstrate that methanol and Echium Oil can be used as a proper feedstock for biofuel production. Furthermore, the kinetic study of transesterification is carried out for Echium oil production and the reaction rate constant and activation energy were determined. Finally, the sizing calculations and cost estimation of the Echium oil-based biodiesel production were investigated.