A Comparison of Iron and Aluminum Electrodes in Electric-Field-Enhanced Biodiesel Production

Thibordin Sangsawang, Vichaya Mangkalang, Pornmatee Jienwanalee, Naruporn Niyomyam

Abstract


This study investigates biodiesel production under applied electric fields using two common, cost-effective electrode materials—iron and aluminum—operated under identical conditions. Used palm oil was transesterified with methanol at a molar ratio of 5:1. The temperature was 40 °C for 2 minutes, with sodium hydroxide (0.5–0.7% w/w) as the catalyst and electric field intensities of 80–240 V. A 3² factorial design within Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to quantify individual and interaction effects and to identify optimal conditions. The highest yield with iron electrodes was 81.12% at 0.5% NaOH and 125 V; for aluminum, the maximum yield was 80.12% at 0.6% NaOH and 138 V. Iron required lower field strength and catalyst loading, consistent with better chemical stability in alkaline media. These results clarify how electrode material affects yield and separation performance in electric-field-assisted biodiesel production and inform material selection for cost-effective, energy-efficient process design.

Keywords


biodiesel; electric field; electrode materials; response surface methodology; transesterification

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.64289/iej.25.03A11.1005289