EVALUATING WASTE COOKING OILS AS ALTERNATIVE DIESEL FUEL

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Çanakcı M., Ozsezen N.

GAZI UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, vol.18, no.1, pp.81-91, 2005 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 18 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2005
  • Journal Name: GAZI UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.81-91
  • Keywords: Waste cooking oils, transesterification, biodiesel, BIODIESEL PRODUCTION, COMBUSTION
  • Kocaeli University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Converting waste cooking oils from restaurants and households to fatty acid esters for use as an alternative diesel fuel has important advantages for human health and environmental standpoints. So far, only very small percentage of these oils have been collected and used for soap production in Turkey. Using waste cooking oils in diesel engines without any modification necessities the fuel properties must be similar with those of petroleum diesel fuel. This requires a chemical process to be meeting the diesel fuel's properties. In converting process, the method commonly used is transesterification. The transesterification reaction of waste cooking oils is affected by free fatty acids and water content of oils and fats, chemical structure of alcohol, type of catalyst, reaction temperature and reaction time. In this paper, utilization of fatty acid esters of waste cooking oils is discussed as an alternative diesel fuel.