Siow, Hao Sen
(2023)
Mealworm (Tenebrio Molitor) Oil And Its Potential As Biodiesel Feedstock Optimised By Response Surface Methodology.
Masters thesis, Perpustakaan Hamzah Sendut.
Abstract
The thriving global energy demand has driven the need for potential
alternatives to replace the commercially available oil resources. One of the alternatives
is insects, which are known to have high-fat content depending on their behaviour,
feeding patterns, and worldwide availability. This study strives to discover the
potential of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) to be a stand-in bioenergy resource and
converting it into biodiesel by optimising the process using response surface
methodology (RSM). Mealworm had a high oil content of 37.54 ± 0.78% with a high
free fatty acid (FFA) content of 10.84 ± 0.005%. The primary fatty acids of mealworm
oil were oleic acid (30.37%), linoleic acid (25.07%), and palmitic acid (19.54%). The
pyrolysis of mealworm oil was done from room temperature to 750°C at a heating rate
of 10°C per minute under a nitrogen gas atmosphere and it decomposed almost
completely after 470°C. An acid-catalysed esterification pre-treatment was conducted
to reduce the high level of FFA content to a range below 1% using the optimum
parameter of 5.8% w/w sulphuric acid as catalyst, 24:1 methanol-to-oil ratio, 174
minutes reaction time at 74°C to be favourable for alkali-catalysed transesterification
to take place and convert the triglycerides in the oil into fatty acid methyl esters
(FAME).
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