Factors Affecting the Quality of Biodiesel from Palm Fatty Acid Distillate at Palm Oil Refining Plant

A study on factors affecting biodiesel quality of agricultural by-products, namely palm oil derived using palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), collected from the Oleen Palm Oil industrial refining plant. This PFAD showed free fatty acid content and a saponification value of 88.4 % and 204 mg KOH/g, respectively. An acid catalyst was successfully used to produce biodiesel in the esterification reaction, and a 97.11% conversion to biodiesel based on the European Standard EN 14214:2003 was achieved under the conditions (PFAD to methanol molar ratio 1:3.71 with 1.834 % H2SO4 catalyzed at 121 °C for 15 minutes). Overall, this novel process achieved highly enhanced FAME (95.82% to 97.31%) with a significantly increased reaction time (10 to 30 minutes) and catalyst requirements (1.834 % H2SO4).

Low-rank coal and poly fatty acid distillate characterization as a preparation of coal upgrading palm oil technology

The utilization of low-rank coal is restricted by such factors as high moisture content, low heating value, high propensity to low-temperature oxidation, spontaneous combustion, etc. Some coal upgrading technologies to reduce the moisture content have been developed, one of them is coal upgrading palm oil technology using palm fatty acid distillate as an additive to keep the stability of moisture content in the coal after the process. To study the possibility of the upgrading technology application in Indonesia, some studies have been conducted. The study covered coal characterization such as proximate, ultimate and calorific value, palm fatty acid distillate for stabilization of upgraded low-rank coal and coal upgrading by coal upgrading palm oil technology in laboratory scale. By using 7 Indonesian low-rank coals and 4 palm fatty acid distillates, it is confirmed that the coal upgrading palm oil technology is effective to reduce the moisture content and increase the calorific value of low rank coal.