A bench scale set-up consisted mainly of a
round glass reactor placed in an adjusted temperature
bath is used for the trans-esterification reaction. This
flask was provided with reflux condenser, magnetic
stirrer, and thermometer for temperature follow up
and funnel for methanol addition. Measured amount
of methanol + calcium oxide (CaO) stirred by a
magnetic stirrer for 10 minutes after which it was
preheated to about 65 ºC below the boiling point of
methanol. Thereafter, 150 ml of RSO was taken and
heated to 65 ºC on a temperature water bath before it
was poured into a blender. Methanol + CaO were
then poured gently into the RSO in the blender. The
entire content was allowed to blend for the required
reaction time. After the completion of reaction, the
product was decanted from the blender & centrifuge
at 6000 rpm for 10 minutes, where the CaO catalyst
was separated from the reaction product. Then the
supernatant product mixture was exposed to open air
for 30 minutes to evaporate excess methanol.
Thereafter, it was poured into a separating funnel and
allowed to settle overnight so as to separate the
glycerine from the biodiesel. The lower glycerine
layer was drawn off and the upper biodiesel layer was
then removed, dried and weighed.