A comparative study on biodiesel production from edible and non-edible biomasses

Biodiesel is a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional diesel fuel. It can be produced from various sources, primarily through homogeneously alkali-catalyzed transesterification. However, with the increasing demand for edible oils and the ongoing concerns about using edible resources for fuel, non-edible oils have become more attractive for biodiesel production. Non-edible oils, such as those derived from waste oils, offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly source for biodiesel production. The current study compares biodiesel samples’ properties derived from an uncooked sunflower oil sample provided by a local bio-industry and four waste cooking oil samples collected from a local restaurant and fast food shop. The findings indicated that most biodiesel properties from edible and non-edible biomass feedstocks were found to be similar and met the specifications outlined in the EN 14,214 standard. Nevertheless, the oxidation stability and the viscosity were found to be outside the specified limits in most of the samples. Additionally, GC–MS analysis exhibited a similar composition of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), with a high proportion of unsaturated FAMEs in all biodiesel samples.