Application of the Taguchi Method for the Optimization of Effective Parameters on the Safflower Seed Oil Methyl Ester Production

In this study, safflower seed oil for biodiesel production is examined. The oil extraction process from safflower seeds and transesterification process for biodiesel production are investigated. Although, there are many factors related with the production of the biodiesel, the four factors are only determined such as molar ratio of alcohol to oil, catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time. Taguchi experimental design is used for the production of safflower seed oil methyl ester by using process parameter optimization. The orthogonal array, signal/noise (S/N) ratio and analysis of variances are employed to find out the optimal process parameters. The optimal conditions of process parameters are determined as 1:6 molar ratio of alcohol to oil, catalyst concentration 0.3 wt %, 60°C reaction temperature, and 45-min reaction time by using NaOH as catalyst in experimental studies. According to Taguchi method, the most efficient process parameter is molar ratio of alcohol to oil in producing safflower seed oil methyl ester. Finally, the conversion rate of safflower seed oil methyl ester is produced to 98% with the optimal conditions of the process parameters, which are obtained by Taguchi method.

[1]  Application of Taguchi Experimental Design for the Optimization of Effective Parameters on the Rapeseed Methyl Ester Production , 2010 .

[2]  C. Muraleedharan,et al.  Use of vegetable oils as I.C. engine fuels—A review , 2004 .

[3]  Eyal Shay.  Diesel fuel from vegetable oils: Status and opportunities , 1993 .

[4]  Chao-Ton Su,et al.  The optimization of multi‐response problems in the Taguchi method , 1997 .

[5]  M. P. Dorado,et al.  Optimization of alkali-catalyzed transesterification of Brassica carinata oil for biodiesel production , 2004 .

[6]  Robert L. McCormick,et al.  Combustion of fat and vegetable oil derived fuels in diesel engines , 1998 .

[7]  A. S. Ramadhas,et al.  Biodiesel production from high FFA rubber seed oil , 2005 .

[8]  M. Kıralan,et al.  Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Some Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Varieties Sown in Spring and Winter , 2007 .

[9]  W. Horwitz.  Official Methods of Analysis , 1980 .

[10]  Deog-Keun Kim,et al.  Blending effects of biodiesels on oxidation stability and low temperature flow properties. , 2008, Bioresource technology.

[11]  G. Vicente,et al.  Integrated biodiesel production: a comparison of different homogeneous catalysts systems. , 2004, Bioresource technology.

[12]  M. H. Lee.  Book reviewOfficial methods of analysis of AOAC International (16th edn): edited by Patricia A. Cunniff, AOAC International, 1995. $359.00 (North America)/$399.00 (elsewhere) (xxvi + 1899 pages) ISBN 0 935 584 54 4 , 1995 .

[13]  D. Firestone,et al.  Official methods and recommended practices of the American Oil Chemists' Society , 1990 .

[14]  T. R. Bement,et al.  Taguchi techniques for quality engineering , 1995 .

[15]  J. Paulo Davim,et al.  Multiperformance Optimization in Turning of Free-Machining Steel Using Taguchi Method and Utility Concept , 2009, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance.

[16]  A. Demirbas,et al.  Biodiesel fuels from vegetable oils via catalytic and non-catalytic supercritical alcohol transesterifications and other methods: a survey , 2003 .

[17]  G Antolín,et al.  Optimisation of biodiesel production by sunflower oil transesterification. , 2002, Bioresource technology.

[19]  L. C. Meher,et al.  Optimization of alkali-catalyzed transesterification of Pongamia pinnata oil for production of biodiesel. , 2006, Bioresource technology.

[20]  Y. Adewuyi,et al.  Application of Taguchi Method to Investigate the Effects of Process Parameters on the Transesterification of Soybean Oil Using High Frequency Ultrasound , 2010 .

[21]  Ram Prasad,et al.  TRIGLYCERIDES-BASED DIESEL FUELS , 2000 .

[22]  S. Durairaj,et al.  Response Surface Methodology for Optimization of Biodiesel Production from High FFA Jatropha Curcas Oil , 2011 .