Discussion
•A one-way ANOVA followed by a Scheffe
post-hoc test revealed no significant
difference between any groups in the
volume of raw biodiesel produced (p<.1)
•The enzyme and acid group were
significantly different from the basic group
in regard to the concentration of
impurities found
•Even though the enzyme catalyst
produced greater amount of purer
biodiesel, the acid catalyst was more
efficient because it produced more pure
biodiesel at a lower cost
Picture 8: Purity of the biodiesel was measured
via titration (Photo by Author)
Limitations
•Some challenges faced in this experiment were finding a way to
accurately collect data, extracting algae oil, and measuring pH
accurately because biodiesel is not very conductive
Conclusion
Picture 9: Algae being grown in the laboratory
setup at room temp. and regular fluorescent
lights (Photo by Author)
•The acid catalyst was the most cost
efficient choice for biodiesel production
•The acid catalyst can be reused several
times and is almost as inexpensive per
gram as sodium hydroxide
•The study is similar to results of other
researchers, acid and enzyme catalysts
were both more efficient than the base
Future Studies
•Running the trial using other types of acid or enzyme catalysts
•Determining the energy content of the biodiesel
•Using different alcohol and different types of algae
•Using Le Chatlier’s principles to favor the forward reaction to
biodiesel more
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