INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 6, ISSUE 07, JULY 2017 ISSN 2277-8616 98 IJSTR©2017 www.ijstr.org Study Of The Physicochemical Analysis Of Biodiesel Produced From Waste Vegetable Oil. C. O. Okpanachi, J. C. Chukwu, E. N. Yisa, H. Z. Abdullahi, S. Sadiq Abstract: The study of the physicochemical analysis of biodiesel produced from waste vegetable oil in Sedi, Minna, Nigeria was carried out in order to ascertain the quality of the biodiesel produced as regards physical and chemical parameters which include visual appearance, colour, cloud point, flash point, and cetane index, diesel index, kinematic velocity, calorific value. Biodiesel is a renewable resource that can replace petroleum diesel which comes from fossil fuels that are limited and will be exhausted in the near future. Biodiesel can be made from the transesterification of vegetable oils, animal fat, greases and oil crops such as soybean and it is biodegradable. The biodiesel produced was subjected to physicochemical analysis and results of cetane index was established to be 52, the flash point using pensky martens close cup was determine to be 160 0 C, diesel index using IP21, 0.3411, kinematic viscosity at 40 0 C to be 4.12 and calorific value of 10867cal/g. The investigated physicochemical parameters show that the biodiesel produced is suitable for use in diesel engines without modifications and is cheaper to produce compared to petroleum diesel. Keywords: Waste, Vegetable oil, Methanol, Transesterification, Biodiesel, Physicochemical, Analysis, Biodegradable. ———————————————————— 1. INTRODUCTION Biodiesel is an organic, non-toxic and biodegradable fuel which can be made from renewable resources like vegetable oil, animal fat and plants [1]. It is mostly made by chemically reacting lipids like vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol thereby producing fatty acid esters [2]. The reaction requires a catalyst, usually a strong base, such as sodium or potassium hydroxide [3]. Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel at any concentration in most injection pump diesel engines. A system known as the ‘B’ factor is used to state the amount of biodiesel in any fuel mix [4]. Biodiesel as an alternative fuel, has many advantages such as environmental friendly, renewable, non-toxic, the process is cost effective since excess methanol can be recovered and re used while the other raw material, waste vegetable oil, is readily available and affordable [5]. Vegetable oil, like biodiesel, belongs to the same category of compounds known as esters, and biodiesel is commonly produced by the tranesterification of the waste vegetable oil or animal fat feed stock [2]. The reaction needs the waste vegetable oil and methanol to react in a reactor to form biodiesel in the presence of potassium hydroxide (KOH) as catalyst [6]. The catalyst is needed because the methanol is slightly soluble in the oil phase, hence the catalyst assist in solubility to allow the chemical reaction to progress at a reasonable rate. This reaction occurs at low temperature and pressure and produces a crude biodiesel and glycerin [7]. At the end of the reaction, the glycerin, which is heavier, is drawn off the bottom of the vessel and the biodiesel is further purified to remove residual catalysts and then dried. The biodiesel and glycerin are then pumped to storage tanks [8]. To help in finding solution to the energy problem in Nigeria, especially in powering diesel engine buses for public transportation, diesel engines for generation of electricity for homes and industrial use by the use of biodiesel, and most importantly to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) effect by reducing the use of petroleum diesel [9], this study was carried out, also to put to further use the waste vegetable oil from eatries and homes which can contaminate the public water system and the ecosystem as a result of improper disposal. Thus, the physicochemical analysis of the biodiesel produced in Sedi Minna was carried out to evaluate the chemistry of the diesel produced and ascertain its suitability for use in diesel engines either directly or blended with petroleum diesel. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Waste vegetable oil was collected from three eatries in Minna and blended to create a homogenous mix. A sieve of 300 mesh was used to filter the oil and remove unwanted particles, then 500ml of the oil was heated to a temperature of about 100 0 C and stirred to evaporate moisture which can affect the reaction [10]. 100ml of methanol was poured into the reactor followed by the catalyst, potassium hydroxide (KOH), then filtered and dried waste vegetable oil and transesterification takes place at this stage. The mixture was stirred to agitate the reagents and the reaction was completed within 25 minutes [11], and the products were moved immediately to the separation vessel. The glycerol then settled to the bottom of the container after esterification because glycerol is heavier than the biodiesel produced. The settling started immediately and the mixture was left for about 12 hours to make sure that all the glycerol has settled out. The left over methanol was removed from the biodiesel by heating the biodiesel to a temperature of 65 0 C at which methanol will evaporate from the biodiesel [12]. The methanol vapour was cooled and condensed into a liquid state for storage. The crude biodiesel produced was then washed to remove the potassium hydroxide (KOH) catalyst and traces of glycerol. Before water was used to wash the biodiesel, acid was added to the biodiesel to neutralise any residual catalyst and to split any soap that may have formed during the reaction as soap will react with acid to form water soluble salt and free fatty acids [13]. Water being denser than the biodiesel settled at the bottom of the container, Water washing is used to remove any ________________________  C. O. Okpanachi, J. C. Chukwu, E. N. Yisa, H. Z. Abdullahi, S. Sadiq  Manufacturing Services Dept., Scientific Equipment Development Institute, (S.E.D.I.), Minna, Nigeria. obekpa@yahoo.com