OPTIMIZATION BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FROM HONGE OIL (PONGAMIA PINNATA)

Rapid industrialization and increased diesel engine usage have driven up diesel consumption, burdening economies with heavy petroleum product imports. Diesel fuel emissions, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and smoke, pose environmental concerns. Biodiesel produced from non- edible vegetable oils offers a sustainable solution. Therefore, a study was conducted on optimizing Honge oil biodiesel production using Taguchi optimization. The research aimed to maximize biodiesel yield from Honge oil, employing Taguchi's technique for enhanced output. Through systematic optimization, the study sought to achieve an efficient and improved process for generating biodiesel from Honge oil. During experimental work, reaction time, reaction temperature and molar ratio of methanol/oil were varied. Among all the experiments conducted during the optimization process, the highest yield of biodiesel was about 88.7 %, as compared to weight of oil. These findings contribute to improving biodiesel production efficiency and promoting its use as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.