The production of biodiesel from sewage sludge via soxtherm extraction using chloroform and methanol in ratio 2:1 as the organic solvent and transesterification reaction

Abstract

Soxtherm apparatus was used to extract oil/lipids from a primary sewage sludge using chloroform and methanol (2:1) as the organic solvent. Biodiesel was produced from the extracted lipid via transesterification process. The physiochemical properties of the extracted lipid and the biodiesel were determined. A percentage yield of 26.42% was obtained for lipids extraction which proved that the solvent mixture of chloroform and methanol (2:1) gave a reasonably higher yield than using a single solvent for lipid extraction. For biodiesel production from the extracted lipid, a percentage yield of 85.12% was obtained. The results gotten from analysis carried out on both lipids and biodiesel were consistent with available literature and suggests that as much as primary sewage sludge is a good feedstock for biodiesel production, using chloroform and methanol (2:1) as an extracting solvent for lipids would improve lipid yield as well as the biodiesel quantity.