Microwave- and Ultrasound-Enhanced Production of Biodiesel from Waste Cooking Oil

This study adopted a two-step catalysis process with a help of microwave and ultrasonic irradiation to produce biodiesel. In the two-step catalysis process with the microwave irradiation, total reaction time was less than 15 minutes, and the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) yield reached up to 97.12%. In the two-step catalysis process with the ultrasonic irradiation, reaction time was less than 50 minutes in total, and the FAMEs yield reached 97.07 %. Therefore, the microwave and ultrasonic irradiation accelerates the chemical reaction and high yields of biodiesel, as compared to the traditional process by which the biodiesel yield reaches only 90% after one-hour reaction.