Studies on Properties of Biodiesel Prepared from Microalgae (Chlorella sp.)

Abstract

Microalgae (chlorella) are an organism capable of photosynthesis and has less than 2 mm diameter in size. The biodiesel prepared from microalgae using chloroform–methanol extraction solvent system followed by three different transesterification processes (based on three different catalysts viz. Alkali catalyst, Acid catalyst, and Enzymatic catalyst) with two temperature (50 and 60 °C) and with 1:5 methanol to oil ratio. After transesterification, the fuel properties were measured and compared with the standard value of ASTM D 6751 standards. Alkali catalyst (0.56% NaOH) yields the highest production of biodiesel (92%) at 60 °C temperature. Also, the closest value of different fuel properties found at par with standard value of ASTM D 6751 standards viz. moisture content, carbon residue, calorific value, specific gravity, acid value, flash point, viscosity, density, and viscosity was found to be 0.01%, 0.04%, 40.41 MJ/kg, 0.83, 0.23 mg KOH/g, 143.67 °C, 5.16 mm²/s, and 0.83 g/cm³, respectively, in biodiesel.