Optimization of biomass durian peel as a heterogeneous catalyst in biodiesel production using microwave irradiation

The present study investigated biodiesel production from the transesterification of palm oil with methanol using calcined biomass durian peel (BDP) as a heterogeneous catalyst assisted by microwave irradiation. Characterization of the calcined BDP showed that K₂O is the main compound with a concentration of 86.15 wt%. The effect of three independent variables of catalyst weight (3-12 wt%), reaction time (1-10 min), and power of microwave (180-900 W) was used to determine the optimum condition on biodiesel production using the response surface method-based on the Box-Behnken design experiment. The optimum biodiesel conversion of 97.3% was achieved under experimental parameters of catalyst concentration of 12 wt%, reaction time of 9 min, and microwave power of 180 W. The catalyst concentration and reaction time have significant effects on biodiesel conversion.