Hybrid Response Surface Method-African Buffalo Optimization Technique for Ultrasonic Production of Biodiesel from Waste Cooking Oil using Li doped CaO Nanocatalyst

In the current era, there is an increasing emphasis on green fuels for a clean environment. Authors in this work have tried to devise an innovative method to optimize ultrasonic production of biodiesel from used cooking oil, using composite technique combining Response surface Methodology and African Buffalo optimization. In this research work, heterogeneous catalyst Lithium doped CaO has been obtained from a new natural source by high-temperature thermal decomposition of Musa Balbisiana root ash and tested its Conversion efficiency for conversion of waste cooking oil into methyl esters. It was observed that the catalyst is really effective for the production of biodiesel from even high Free Fatty Acid waste cooking oil. For optimization of production parameters authors have used ABO complemented with RSM to maximize the biodiesel production yield. The maximum biodiesel yield of 96.67% was achieved using ABO which is about 15% higher than provided by RSM which is 81.01%. The highest biodiesel yield of 96.67 % is obtained at 15:1 Molar Ratio with 3.5% catalyst wt. percent, 60 Degree C Temp. in 45 Minutes with an error of 2.5 % in yield prediction by ABO. The work may be utilized by industries and researchers to use ultrasonic reactors optimally to extract better biodiesel volume in very short time instead of presently used slow mechanical stirring tank reactors.