Optimization of Glycerol Production from Mango Seed Oil Using Response Surface Methodology and Central Composite Design

Abstract

The objective of this research was to optimize the glycerol production from mango seed oil using RSM and CCD. The glycerol was produced through the transesterification process where biodiesel and glycerol were produced as the products of the reaction. The experimental design for this study was a four factor five levels CCD. This research used oil from mango seed because it is a non-edible oil and available. The study established quadratic effects were statistically significant at 5% level of significance. The study controlled variables were oil: methanol ratio, catalyst concentration, reaction temperature and time and the response variable was glycerol yield. From the analysis using the second order model, the value of Rsquared was 79.39 % (R- squared = 0.7939) and Adjusted R-squared = 60.16 % (0.6016) and this implied that 79.39 % of the variation in the response variable could be accounted for by the study variables. The F statistic value 0.004962, (at 5% level of significance) was statistically significant. So the model was fit for estimating the response from the experimental data. The findings further showed that to obtain minimum (Optimal) glycerol yield of 10.6%, 1: 6.95 oil to methanol ratio, 7.7% catalyst concentration, 65.99 OC of reaction temperature and 87.45 minutes of reaction time are required to produce glycerol from mango seeds oil. The study has established that the mango seed has a substantial amount of oil which can be extracted and used to make products which are valuable to human These adds value to the mango seeds which would otherwise would be left to litter hence causing pollution to the environment. This could lead to reduction in environmental pollution and improvement of livelihoods of mango farmers