Rabya Aslam
University of the Punjab, Pakistan
Title: Alumina Extraction from Pakistani Bauxite and activity testing on biofuel production from waste cooking oil
Biography
Biography: Rabya Aslam
Abstract
Waste cooking oil is valuable and cheap feedstock for the production of bio-fuels as compared to virgin edible oil. It can not only help to reduce environmental impacts of waste cooking oil but also can contribute to the future energy demand. Catalysts used in this process are usually acids, base in both homogeneous and heterogeneous processes. In most cases, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide are used as alkaline catalyst and mineral acids are used as acidic catalysts in homogeneous reaction, because of their higher reaction rates, availability and low cost. However, recovery of catalyst is difficult in this process. Moreover, in the case of waste cooking oil which contain relatively high percentage of free fatty acid, alkaline catalysts are prone to the saponification reaction which reduce the biodiesel conversions. In order to cope up with low biofuel conversion, slow reaction rates, activity of solid catalysts are evaluated in this work. The activity of in house synthesized Alumina from Pakistani Bauxite is studied by varying reaction conditions such as time, temperature, alcohol to oil ratio. The produced biodiesel was fully characterized with respect to density, kinematic density, iodine values, acid values, carbon residue, pour points, flash points etc. and was found to meet the criteria required to be diesel substitute.