ABSTRACT
Biodiesel can be synthesized using several different triacylglycerides, alcohols, and catalysts. In this study, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) were produced from their respective alcohols and coffee oil, using either a basic (K2CO3) catalyst or an acidic catalyst (H2SO4). Fatty acid furfuryl esters (FAFurEs) were produced using commercially-purchased cooking oils (canola, olive, corn, sunflower, and peanut) with furfuryl alcohol, a basic (K2CO3) catalyst, a co-solvent (THF), and an ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate). All samples were produced using either conventional heating methods (CH) or microwave-assisted heating methods (MW). All biodiesel samples were characterized using 1H-NMR. FaFurE samples also underwent bomb calorimetry studies. Acid catalysis was unsuccessful at producing either FAMEs or FAEEs from coffee oil. Base catalysis, however, was successful. FAMEs were produced in 73% conversion and FAEEs were produced in 81% conversion under base-catalyzed conditions. FAFurEs were produced on varying amounts ranging from 19% for sunflower oil to 75.7% for olive oil. Microwave heating was unsuccessful at producing FAFurEs, whereas conventional heating did yield FAFurE products
