%P 117-128
%T Biodiesel purification by solvent-aided crystallization using n-hexane as solvent
%A W.O. Wan Nur Aisyah
%A F. Hateem
%A S. Shafirah
%A H.Y. Eduard
%V 29
%O cited By 0; Conference of International Conference on Sustainable Processes and Clean Energy Transition, ICSuPCET 2022 ; Conference Date: 1 December 2022 Through 2 December 2022; Conference Code:295119
%J Materials Research Proceedings
%L scholars19240
%D 2023
%R 10.21741/9781644902516-15
%X Biodiesel is a form of fuel that has a natural origin as it is derived from organic components such as vegetable oil and animal fats. However, biodiesel has to be purified based on the required biodiesel purity standards before it can be used as diesel fuel. This study focuses on a lab-based purification method which is solvent-aided crystallization (SAC) using a typical solvent used for oilseed extraction that is n-hexane. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the process parameters. The purified biodiesel was analyzed via GC-MS to determine its fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content, reflecting the purity of the biodiesel. The effect of cooling temperature and the concentration of the solvent was studied. The highest purity was obtained at intermediate parameter levels; 12°C and 1.5 wt of n-hexane. The predicted optimum process parameters within the experimental range were 9.924°C and 1.131 wt, with FAME purity of 99.789. The data was validated with an experimental run, and the FAME purity obtained was 99.88, a 0.1 difference from the predicted value. The FAME purity obtained was above the biodiesel purity standards making this environmentally friendly process viable to be used on a much larger scale in the biodiesel industry. © 2023, Association of American Publishers. All rights reserved.