Thermodynamics and the Fuel Qualities of Produced Biodiesel From Nonedible Biomaterials: RStudio and Central Composite Design Approach

ABSTRACT A unique green catalyst was derived from novel powdered Uzere tallow seeds shell calcined at 700°C for 1 h in a muffle furnace. The catalytic activity of the Uzere acidified catalyst was due to a high proportion of sulphur trioxide, calcium oxide, and potassium oxide. The Ozoro Thevetia peruviana seed oil was produced via a Soxhlet instrument using acetone as solvent. The transesterification process was optimized with rotatable central composite design and RStudio, and both tools yielded the same maximum biodiesel output of 97.12 wt.%., at time 70 min, acidified‐catalyst 3.5 wt.%, methanol: oil 7:1, and temperature at 65°C. Although both tools generated a similar R2 of 0.9989, RStudio generated a better p‐value of < 2.2e−16 as against central composite design < 0.001. In addition, RStudio generated more statistical values like kurtosis (2.46) and skewness (−0.112) which were within acceptable bounds. Furthermore, RStudio charts provided a better visual clue and demonstrated superior performance. An activation energy of 79.1 kJmol−1 with an R2 of 97.75% was computed from kinetic approach while the thermodynamics approach produced an entropy of −0.0579 kJmol−1, enthalpy of 76.297 kJmol−1, and Gibbs free energy of 95.75, 95.87, 95.98 kJmol−1, at 336, 338, and 340 K, respectively. The results were within accepted bounds. Additionally, the physiochemical and fuel qualities of the produced biodiesel agree with the recommended range. Thus, this produced eco‐friendly biodiesel can be used to power diesel engines without any issues for the betterment of the world at large.