Cyber Times International Journal of Technology & Management

Methyl-ester of waste soybean oil (Biodiesel) is of paramount importance because this alternative fuel is prepared from waste or used oil. In India, the soybean oil is comparatively cheaper than other edible oil. Small restaurants are typically using this oil for frying purpose and afterwards oil is discarded into sewage which results in problems like choking and polluted the premises and create unfriendly environment. Therefore utilization of the used soybean oil for biodiesel production is necessary. The present study focuses on the yield of used soybean oil biodiesel on the basis of parameters like oil alcohol ratio, concentration of catalyst and reaction temperature. The reaction is base catalysed transesterification. During the biodiesel preparation, any two parameters were kept constant with one varying parameter and its effect on methyl ester yield was studied. From the experimental study the optimum process conditions of base catalysed transesterification reaction for the preparation of waste soybean oil methyl ester was determined. Then different blends of waste soybean oil methyl ester and petroleum diesel was prepared and properties like specific gravity, degree API, flash and fire point temperature, viscosity range, freezing point, diesel index and cetane number were studied. The comparison of blend properties with pure diesel was done to analyse suitability of exact proportion of waste soybean biodiesel in diesel fuel. The characterization study indicates the lower blends to be preferred.