Comparison of Acid- and Alkali-Catalyzed Transesterification of Rendering Plant Fat with Methanol

Abstract

Acid- and alkali-catalyzed transesterifications of fat from rendering plant as a source for production of biodiesel fuels were compared. The alkali-catalyzed reaction gives lower conversions of triglycerides, probably due to high contents of free fatty acids. The acid-catalyzed transesterification is more appropriate as it gives high yields of triglycerides but requires higher temperatures and long reaction times.