Investigation of Temperature Influence on Mass Transfer during Sustainable Biodiesel Production from Castor Oil

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Abstract
Biodiesel represents a renewable alternative fuel that reduces dependence on petroleum and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, biodiesel was produced from castor oil via alkaline transesterification to investigate the influence of temperature on mass transfer between the immiscible oil and alcohol phases. A series of transesterification experiments were carried out using methanol and a homogeneous alkaline catalyst (1.12 wt% KOH). The temperature was varied at 35 °C, 50°C, and 65°C to evaluate its influence on the mass transfer rate between the oil and alcohol phases. The molar ratio of methanol to oil was maintained at 14.12:1, and each experiment was conducted for a reaction time of 60 minutes. Increasing temperature significantly enhanced interfacial diffusion, reduced viscosity, and increased miscibility between the two phases. The intersection of TG and FAME curves occurred earlier at higher temperatures, at 65 °C, triglyceride (TG) conversion reached 92% within 10 min and approximately 99% after 60 min, while slower conversions were observed at 35 °C and 50 °C. Product composition and FAME yield were evaluated by GC-MS examination at the Ministry of Industry and Minerals' Industrial Research and Development Authority. Overall, the study highlights that optimized temperature conditions minimize mass transfer limitations, improves phase interaction and conversion efficiency also shortens the total reaction time supporting the creation of an effective and sustainable method of producing biodiesel process from renewable castor oil feedstock.

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