I'm stuck in a biodiesel synthesis using fish endo- and exoskeleton ash as a catalyst, but the biodiesel isn't separating from the glycerol. I've worked with ash calcined at 900°C and 1000°C, oil-to-methanol molar ratios of 1:6 and 1:9, reaction times of 2, 3, 4, and 5 hours, and reaction temperatures of 60°C and 65°C. The oil is used and has less than 1% free fatty acids. I tested the oil with ashes from other fruits and obtained good separations of biodiesel from glycerol. Could you help me?
Hi, what do you mean that the glycerol isn't separating from biodiesel? Is the glycerol formed? If no, some advice that I ever handle are you can check first that the catalyst compound has really strong or major component of metal by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and increase the catalyst percentage/dosage. I saw that the ashes calcined to 900 and 1000 O think it's to high because the carbon content will be high. Some ashes may differ the metal content. Maybe at low catalyst percentage that fruit ash could form biodiesel and glycerol because it has strong or major component of metal but your fish skeleton ash not. Further methodology please read the attachment below. Best of luck.
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