Optimization of base-catalyzed transesterification reaction of used cooking oil

Biodiesel is one of the environmentally friendly alternative liquid biofuels that has proven itself commercially, with international standards all around the world. Industrial and scientific studies on reducing biodiesel production costs are one of the major contributions that have strengthened the position of biodiesel commercially. The type of vegetable oil used for biodiesel production is the parameter that has the greatest effect on biodiesel production cost. For this reason, investigations on the types of no-to-low-cost vegetable oils become crucial. In this study, the optimum conditions for biodiesel production from restaurant-originated used cooking oil (which is composed primarily of oleic and linoleic acids) and the refining procedure were investigated. A refining method of "washing with hot water" was used for biodiesel refinement. One of the properties of biodiesel that has an influence on biodiesel purity is glycerin content. In the refining studies, the effects of glycerin amount, used washing water amount, and the number of washing steps were discussed and biodiesel that meets EN 14214 standards was produced.