ABSTRACTThe increasing depletion of fossil fuel resources and the environmental impacts associated with conventionalfuels have accelerated the search for sustainable alternatives. This study investigates the production ofbiodiesel from industrial waste-derived tallow using a novel KF/Al2O3heterogeneous nano-catalyst synthesizedthrough impregnation, calcination, and particle size reduction techniques. The catalyst was characterized usingFourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and particle size analysis. Biodieselproduction was carried out through ultrasonic-assisted transesterification, and the effects of methanol-to-oilmolar ratio, reaction temperature, catalyst loading, and reaction time were optimized. Maximum biodiesel yieldof 98.2 wt.% was achieved at a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 15:1, catalyst loading of 6 wt.%, reactiontemperature of 60°C, and reaction time of 180 min. The produced biodiesel satisfied ASTM D6751 fuel qualityrequirements and demonstrated excellent fuel characteristics. The catalyst maintained significant activity overmultiple reuse cycles, indicating its economic viability for large-scale biodiesel production.
Mr. R. Mathesh, Mr. P. Vignesh, Dr. A. Kumar, Dr. D. Bhuvaneswari (Tue,) studied this question.