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Response surface optimization for the transesterification of karanja oil using immobilized whole cells of Rhizopus oryzae in n-hexane system

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Abstract

Non-edible oils represent one of the most viable alternative feed stocks for the production of large volumes of biodiesel at cheaper cost in tropical countries. The objective of the present study is to investigate the ability of the immobilized whole cells of Rhizopus oryzae MTCC 262 to catalyze the biodiesel production from karanja oil in n-hexane system. Response surface methodology was employed to evaluate the effects of synthesis parameters, such as molar ratio of oil to alcohol, reaction temperature and reaction time on percentage biodiesel (methyl esters) yield. Transesterification was performed in shake flasks containing immobilized cells in the reaction mixture with 10% oil weight of n-hexane. The quadratic effects of molar ratio of oil to alcohol and reaction time proved to be the significant at 1% and 5% levels, respectively. The optimum synthesis conditions were found to be: molar ratio of oil to alcohol 1:2.73, reaction temperature 41.39°C and reaction time 73.97 h. Biodiesel yield (methyl ester) was 75.98 (wt.%) under the optimal conditions and the subsequent verification experiments with biodiesel yield of 78.0 (wt.%) confirmed the validity of the proposed model.

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Abbreviations

RSM:

Response surface method

FFA:

Free fatty acid

CCD:

Central composite design

X i :

Real value

x i :

Coded value

X 0 :

Real value at the center point

ΔX i :

Step change value

Y :

Predicted response

R 2 :

Coefficient of determination

β 0 :

Offset term

β i :

Linear effect coefficients

β ii :

Squared effect coefficients

β ij :

First-order interaction effect coefficients

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Chemical Engineering Department, Annamalai University for providing the facilities to carry out the research work. The financial support from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu through Science and Technology scheme for this research work is also acknowledged with thanks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Biochemical Engineering Laboratory, Annamalai University, 608 002, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India

    Devanesan Ganesan, Aravindan Rajendran & Viruthagiri Thangavelu

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  1. Devanesan Ganesan
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  2. Aravindan Rajendran
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  3. Viruthagiri Thangavelu
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Correspondence to Aravindan Rajendran.

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Ganesan, D., Rajendran, A. & Thangavelu, V. Response surface optimization for the transesterification of karanja oil using immobilized whole cells of Rhizopus oryzae in n-hexane system. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 2, 11–20 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-011-0029-8

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