Microwave assisted esterification of acidified oil from waste cooking oil by CERP/PES catalytic membrane for biodiesel production

Compared with traditional heating esterification (THE), microwave assisted esterification (MAE) needs less reaction time, lower reaction temperature, less energy and lower methanol additive. Thus, manufacturing biodiesel using microwave represents a fast, easy and effective route with advantages of a short reaction time, a low methanol/acidified oil mass ratio, an ease of operation, reduced energy consumption and all with lower production cost. [Display omitted] ► We prepared CERP/PES hybrid catalytic membrane for biodiesel production. ► We conducted esterification of acidified oil under traditional heating method. ► We conducted esterification of acidified oil under microwave irradiation. ► Biodiesel production with microwave irradiation needs less time and catalyst. ► Esterification with microwave irradiation offers a fast, easy and effective route. The traditional heating and microwave assisted method for biodiesel production using cation ion-exchange resin particles (CERP)/PES catalytic membrane were comparatively studied to achieve economic and effective method for utilization of free fatty acids (FFAs) from waste cooking oil (WCO). The optimal esterification conditions of the two methods were investigated and the experimental results showed that microwave irradiation exhibited a remarkable enhanced effect for esterification compared with that of traditional heating method. The FFAs conversion of microwave assisted esterification reached 97.4% under the optimal conditions of reaction temperature 60°C, methanol/acidified oil mass ratio 2.0:1, catalytic membrane (annealed at 120°C) loading 3g, microwave power 360W and reaction time 90min. The study results showed that it is a fast, easy and green way to produce biodiesel applying microwave irradiation.