Microwave assisted transesterification of maize (Zea mays L.) oil as a biodiesel fuel

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) oil is a highly valuable agricultural commodity for the Turkey. Transesterified maize oil has the global better properties because it has the greater monounsaturated content. Biodiesel has been prepared from maize by transesterification of the crude oil under microwave irradiation, with methanol to oil molar ratio of 10:1, in the presence of 1.5% NaOH as catalyst and 5 minutes time, the conversion of maize oil to methyl ester was over 98%. Compared with conventional heating methods, the process using microwaves irradiation proved to be a faster method for alcoholysis of triglycerides with methanol, leading to high yields of biodiesel.