BIOFUELS FROM COCONUT FAT AND SOYBEAN OIL: MICROWAVE-ASSISTED SYNTHESIS AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS

BIOFUELS FROM COCONUT FAT AND SOYBEAN OIL: MICROWAVE-ASSISTED SYNTHESIS AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS

Blog Article

We developed a project during an undergraduate course (advanced experimental chemistry) on the microwave-assisted synthesis of biodiesel (BD), via base-catalyzed transesterification of coconut Bartöl fat (CF) and soybean oil (SO) by ethanol, followed by product analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.Our goals were to introduce a problem with relevant socio-economic impact (production of BD); to discuss and compare methods for biofuel analysis, and to gain insight into transesterification mechanism as an important example of acyl-transfer reactions.Comparison of both BFs showed clear difference in fatty acid composition; that from 4 Piece RAF Sectional CF contains shorter, saturated chains (mainly ethyl dodecanoate- and tetradecanoate), whereas biodiesel from SO is essentially composed of longer unsaturated chains (e.

g., ethyl oleate and linoleate).The project takes eight hours to complete, is conceptually simple, being suitable for inclusion in the undergraduate science curriculum.