Harnessing macroalgae Sargassum plagiophyllum-derived heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production

Abstract

A sustainable approach to palm oil-based biodiesel production utilizing a brown macroalgae Sargassum plagiophyllum-derived catalyst has been established. The catalysts underwent calcination at temperatures of 500, 600, and 700 °C and were characterized by FTIR, XRD, and SEM. Biodiesel production was conducted in a batch reactor under varying conditions, including temperatures (50–70 °C), catalyst loadings (1–5 wt%), and reaction times (30–150 min). The results indicated that the optimal calcination temperature was 600 °C, leading to a biodiesel yield of 0.93 at 60 °C with a 3 wt% catalyst loading within 120 min. Additionally, the reaction kinetics of oil conversion to biodiesel using the S. plagiophyllum-derived catalyst were determined, and it was noted that the reaction followed Arrhenius's behavior. The formulated kinetic model exhibited strong alignment with the experimental data.