article · Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment
Cotton seed methyl ester was produced from solvent-extracted cotton seed oil using a two-step catalytic transesterification process. The oil was initially esterified using an acid catalyst and subsequently treated through base-catalysed transesterification to yield methyl ester. Higher reaction temperatures and longer durations increased the conversion of cotton seed oil into methyl ester, achieving a peak conversion rate of 95.48 percent at 65 degrees Celsius over 150 minutes. Kinetic evaluation revealed that the transesterification mechanism fits an irreversible pseudo-second-order reaction model. Comprehensive testing against standard specifications demonstrated that the resulting fuel possesses physicochemical traits, including cetane number, kinematic viscosity, calorific value, and flash point, that are comparable to conventional petroleum-derived diesel.
Identifying viable non-petroleum feedstocks helps support the shift towards renewable energy sources. Demonstrating that cotton seed oil can be converted efficiently into high-quality methyl ester offers a practical pathway for producing alternative liquid fuels with properties matching standard diesel fuels.
This work demonstrates laboratory-scale fuel synthesis and detailed reaction kinetics relevant to biofuel manufacturers and process engineers. While conversion rates and fuel properties meet standard specifications, the abstract reflects early-stage, experimental research, meaning that pilot scaling, continuous processing, and industrial viability testing are still required.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
In this study, Cotton seed methyl ester (CSME) was produced from extracted Cotton seed oil (CSO) through transesterification process that involves two steps. The CSO obtained from solvent extraction was first esterified using an acid catalyst to obtain the FAME, which was then used in the based catalysed transesterification process that produced the CSME. The physicochemical properties and fatty acids composition of the extracted CSO and produced CSME were evaluated according to the ASTM approved standards. Also, the percentage conversion, activated energy, kinetics, and thermodynamics of the transesterification process were studied. The results also indicate that increase in time and temperature has a positive effect on the percentage conversion of CSO to CSME. The highest percentage conversion (95.48%) was achieved at 65 °C and 150 min. The reaction rate constants obtained for the irreversible pseudo first and second order models were within the range of 4.59×10-2 min-1 to 6.77×10-2 min-1 and 9.50×10-2 dm3mol-1min-1 to 2.27×10-1 dm3mol-1min-1, respectively. However, the R2 values indicate that the CSO transesterification reaction was best described by the irreversible pseudo second order model. The activation energy obtained was 18.98 kJ/mol and 43.17 kJ/mol for the pseudo first and second order models, respectively. ∆H, ∆S, and ∆G values for irreversible pseudo first and second orders models, are 13.89 KJ/mol, -0.158 KJ/mol, and 20.43 – 23.56 KJ/mol and 35.92 KJ/mol, -0.165 KJ/mol, and 85.21 – 88.31 KJ/mol, respectively. The cetane number, kinematic viscosity, calorific value, flash point, and acid value obtained for the CSME were 53.1, 4.81 mm2/s, 43,690 kJ/kg, 154 ℃, and 0.1 mg KOH/g oil, respectively. The CSME produced has physicochemical properties comparable to those of petroleum-derived diesel.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scenv.2024.100064
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
