Date of Award

5-2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Natural Science

Department

College of Science and Mathematics

First Advisor

Dr. Russell Franks

Second Advisor

Dr. Alyx Frantzen

Third Advisor

Dr. Matibur Zamadar

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Sarah Canterberry

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel can be synthesized using several different triacylglycerides, alcohols, and catalysts. In this study, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) were produced from their respective alcohols and coffee oil, using either a basic (K2CO3) catalyst or an acidic catalyst (H2SO4). Fatty acid furfuryl esters (FAFurEs) were produced using commercially-purchased cooking oils (canola, olive, corn, sunflower, and peanut) with furfuryl alcohol, a basic (K2CO3) catalyst, a co-solvent (THF), and an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate). All samples were produced using either conventional heating methods (CH) or microwave-assisted heating methods (MW). All biodiesel samples were characterized using 1H-NMR. FaFurE samples also underwent bomb calorimetry studies. Acid catalysis was unsuccessful at producing either FAMEs or FAEEs from coffee oil. Base catalysis, however, was successful. FAMEs were produced in 73% conversion and FAEEs were produced in 81% conversion under base-catalyzed conditions. FAFurEs were produced on varying amounts ranging from 19% for sunflower oil to 75.7% for olive oil. Microwave heating was unsuccessful at producing FAFurEs, whereas conventional heating did yield FAFurE products.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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