Kajian Variasi Jumlah Reaktor terhadap Mutu Biodiesel pada Produksi Biodiesel Non-Katalitik Menggunakan Static Mixer

Abstract

The demand for fossil-based fuels continues to increase in line with growing transportation and mobility activities, which contribute to global warming. Biodiesel, as an environmentally friendly renewable fuel, can be produced with or without the aid of catalysts (non-catalytic). This study aims to determine the optimal number of reactors from four variations, namely reactors 11, 13, 15, and 17, produced in a non-catalytic process using a helix-type static mixing reactor (SMR), with a molar ratio of 1:20 at a temperature of 350°C, obtained 20.85–39.58% (volume yield), 20.87–39.05% (mass yield), 23.36–43.71 (stoichiometric yield), 837.99–870.65 kg/m³ (density), 2.33–3.77 cSt (kinematic viscosity), 0.28–0.62 mg KOH/g (acid number), 131.04–156.54 mg KOH/g (saponification number), 0.017 1.19% (free glycerol), 5.53–26.3% monoglycerides, 0.11–11.93% diglycerides, 4.37–37.23% triglycerides, 0.19–0.23% (total glycerol), 96.69–97.02% (methyl ester content). The best reactor was reactor 11 in treatment R11U1 with a methyl ester content of 97.08%.