Abstract
Post-pandemic inflationist pressures, climate changes and extremes,
regional conflicts, and soaring food prices caused the food crisis to
increase rapidly worldwide. This global problem directs producers and
researchers to use oils used as feedstock in biodiesel production
effectively. In this context, it is important to assay the
transesterification parameters and conduct new optimization studies to
increase biodiesel yield. In this study, methyl ester was produced from
hemp oil by transesterification using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Next,
classical optimization study was carried out to determine the effects of
catalyst amount, alcohol:oil molar ratio, reaction temperature, and
reaction time variables on biodiesel yield. Secondly, the cubic spline
mathematical model (CSMM) and polynomial regression mathematical model
(PRMM) was applied to the first data of this optimization. Among these
optimization methods, the utmost biodiesel yield registered was 96.115%
at hemp seed oil (HSO): methanol molar ratio of 5.59:1, catalyst
concentration of 0.531 wt%, reaction temperature of 42.5 °C, reaction
time of 62.1 min, and agitation intensity of 600 rpm at PRMM. Some vital
fuel properties obtained from HSO biodiesels as a result of three
optimizations satisfied the EN 14214 standard. The results illustrated
that the optimal yields from CSMM and PRMM are 0.765% and 1.065%
higher, respectively, according to the maximum efficiency obtained from
the classical optimization. The outcomes showed that CSMM and PRMM are
cost-effective, easy to handle and promising new approaches.