DIRECT TRANSESTERIFICATION WITHOUT CATALYST OF MICROALGAE WITH AN AIDED OF ULTRASONIC TREATMENT IN BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

Abstract

Microalgae have protracted as a sustainable and renewable biomass feedstock with high lipid content to produce alternative biofuels in future. This paper describes a process for producing biodiesel from microalgae; Tetraspora sp. was cultivated in Research Laboratory, UiTM Bukit Besi. After drying process, the biomass then had undergone direct- transesterification process to produce biodiesel as Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The FAME obtained from non-catalytic transesterification method of individual FAME components mostly consists of maximum average FAME (biodiesel) yield of 70.58±1.54% with the effect of ultrasonic treatment; 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes followed by 5 minutes homogenization of dried tetraspora species without catalyst on fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) percentage. The direct transesterification process without catalyst was also produced the average percentage of FAME of 43.70±3.43, 5.34±2.28 and 57.63±2.22 percent. The results revealed that tetraspora sp. can be produced via ultrasonic treatment on yield of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) percentage without catalyst and be able for biodiesel production.