HKICEAS-681
Optimization of Soap Removal in Biodiesel-Derived Crude Glycerol by
Acidification Using Taguchi DOE Methodology
Name:Hooi Wen Tan
Chemical Engineering, Universiti of Malays
hooiwen86@gmail.com
Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman
Chemical Engineering, University of Malaya
azizraman@um.edu.my
Abstract
Acidification process has been applied as the pretreatment process to remove soap in the crude
glycerol by transforming the soap into free fatty acids and inorganic salt with the addition of acid.
In this study, the effect of various parameters such as type of acid, pH, temperature, stirring speed
and contact time on acidification process were examined. The Taguchi method based on three levels,
five variables L18 orthogonal array was applied to evaluate the optimal experimental conditions and
hence to achieve maximum soap removal efficiency and highest purity of recovered glycerol. The
results were analysed using signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and the percentage contribution of each
parameter on the purity of recovered glycerol was determined using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
approach. In the full paper, the optimum conditions of the acidification providing the highest purity
of glycerol as well as the effect of each parameter on the acidification process will be discussed.
The ability of the Taguchi method to optimize the process of acidification of crude glycerol in
small-sized pilot scale with an acceptable level of accuracy will also be examined. Furthermore, the
feasibility of obtaining highest purity of recovered glycerol using the single acidification system
under the optimum conditions will be examined.
Keywords: Crude glycerol, Acidification, Optimization, Taguchi DOE methodology
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