Production of valuable chemicals and biodiesel from vegetable oils

Cottonseed oil (for biodiesel production) and castor oil (in obtaining valuable chemicals) were used in experimental studies. For this purpose, microwave assisted transesterification of cottonseed oil was investigated and the suitable reaction conditions (catalyst-oil ratio, temperature, time) were specified. Castor oil was subjected to high temperature-high pressure cracking in order to obtain heptaldehyde, undecylenic acid and 2-octanone. Optimum reaction parameters (catalyst-oil ratio, temperature, pressure) were determined.Microwave assisted transesterification of cottonseed oil under the conditions of 1.5% catalyst-oil ratio, 60oC temperature and 7 minutes reaction time, resulted in a biodiesel yield of 92.4%. Undecylenic acid (20.8%) was obtained from castor oil at 350oC temperature, 60 bar pressure and 1.0% catalyst-oil ratio where heptaldehyde (15.7%) and 2-octanone (17.5%) were obtained at 400oC temperature, 90 bar pressure and 1.0% catalyst-oil ratio.